New World
by WolfBlade117
Summary: If there was one thing the Last Dragonborn didn't expect, it was for an Elder Scroll to push her out of Nirn altogether. Now with an entire new world at her fingertips, what's next? Slaying the evil and saving the day? Sure. After she's done exploring some caves, fighting some monsters and being an all-around badass, of course. Have a few ideas for pairings. Femslash.
1. Time to Go

**I have not abandoned all of my other stories, just taking a bit of a leave of absence due to some health issues.**

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 **Chapter 1: Time To Go**

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When the first stirrings arrived, they were like whispers, soft wind flowing over bare skin. A gentle ripple nudging against dipped feet.

Her eye opened.

Pulling back her chair, the woman looked around at the roaring fire and boisterous laughter, the meat disappearing into ravenous gullets and the drink spilt over unwary heads.

Smiling fondly at the hearty gathering, she nonetheless turned away and stepped outside the magnificent hall.

Glancing up at the never-ending whirlpool in the sky, she knelt down and scooped up a handful of dirt, rolling it between her fingers.

"Mama? Are you alright?"

Turning around with a smile, she stood up and walked over to a beautiful brown-haired woman and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Of course, Lucia. Just wanted to confirm something."

The tall brunette glared up at her foster mother and couldn't help but be suspicious as she smoothed down her errant locks. The woman had always seemed to know _everything_ that was going on, no matter the circumstances.

"Well, alright," she muttered, turning back. "Let's go back inside, the meat is getting cold."

"We're in _Sovngarde_ , Lucia. The meat never gets cold."

Blushing, the young woman rounded on the Last Dragonborn. "I know that! I'm just saying that you should enjoy yourself more! You're in the mead-hall of some of the greatest heroes in Tamriel, but you never seem to enjoy feasting and drinking with anyone."

"Sharing an ale with Sanguine might do that to you," she replied with a chuckle. "Besides, I've never been as interested in feasting. I prefer-"

Lucia clapped her hands over her ears. "La-la-la, I can't hear you! I don't want to listen to you talk about more of your ' _conquests of Skyrim_ '."

Her arm snaked out and wrapped around Lucia's shoulders before the teenager could get away, pulling her flush against the woman's ample bosom.

"Now, now, children should always listen when mother speaks," she said very matter-of-factly, musing with a finger on her chin. "Well, my first was Lydia, of course," she said, seemingly unaware of the blushing girl's squirming to pull her head out from between her foster mother's breasts. "She was quite stiff and nervous at first, but once her shell cracked she was surprisingly eager. Then there was Aela, with all her talk about hunting and glory. Gods, that girl could go _wild_. Next was-"

Finally, Lucia finally managed to pull herself free, gasping for breath and blushing down to the roots of her hair, before finally giving her mother a glare. " _Mama_! I don't need an in-depth description of all of your bedtime habits!"

"Goodness, daughter mine, so flushed!" she said with a laugh. "Don't tell me that my sweet, innocent daughter is _jealous_? Or perhaps…" Here she drew close, cupping the young woman's cheek in one hand and lowering her head to stare into Lucia's eyes. "… _Curious_?"

"Wha- I- there's- I'm not-" the brown haired teenager sputtered, before catching sight of the roguish grin growing on her mother's face. "You are _evil_."

Laughing, the savior of Skyrim drew back and poked her daughter in the forehead. "Perhaps you should make more of an effort not to be such an easy target, my dear."

Lucia huffed, shaking her head. Many would call her mother a beautiful woman, even despite the bandage wrapped around her head that covered a single eye. Still, she was _incorrigible_ , not to mention constantly bordering the line between a joker and a damned tease. "I'll be inside when you're finished with all of your _reminiscing_."

The red-faced young woman walked back inside and slammed the door, leaving her smiling mother behind.

Slowly, the smile disappeared as she looked back at the maelstrom in the sky.

Which, to her growing concern, was starting to spin faster, the edges storming in anticipation.

Walking to the center of the clearing, she sighed as the stirrings she'd felt throughout her conversation became too profound to ignore.

 _Here they come_.

" **So good to see you again, my champion** ," came a voice from nowhere.

A soft, yet guarded smile appeared on her face as she gave a sweeping bow to no one. "Always a pleasure, Lady Meridia."

" **Goodness! Haven't forgotten about dear old me, have you?** " said another voice, this one sounding a little… odd.

"And to you as well, Prince Sheogorath," the woman muttered, her smile slipping a little.

Had any of the other warriors of Sovngarde been outside, they would have gaped at the Dragonborn's casual conversation with _two_ Daedric Princes.

And, after giving it a little thought, they would have paled at the fact that _two Daedric Princes were in SOVNGARDE_.

"Milady, how is it that you are in Shor's domain?" the red-haired woman asked. "I didn't realize that Daedra were allowed near a god's territory."

" **Normally, we wouldn't be**."

Yet another voice sounded out, this time from behind her. Turning around, she grinned as a shadow slowly coalesced in midair. Floating a few inches above the grass, the voluptuous form of Nocturnal, another Prince, appeared. " **Dragonborn. You've been taking care of yourself, I see**."

"I have, my lady," she said, giving a slight bow. Of all the Princes, she'd always felt closest to the patron of the Nightingales. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

" **No need to be so formal, my dear** ," the Prince said calmly, a small smile pulled at her ethereally beautiful features. " **Hasn't been a need for that for quite a while, has there**?"

The red-haired woman blushed a little, smiling. "I suppose not."

" **Oh, so no kind words for another Prince**?" said another voice, this one harsh.

"Molag," she said, smile disappearing.

The voice grew closer, whispering in her ear. " **Come now, _Dovahkiin_ , one might think you didn't want to… _spend some time with me_**."

Those of the Dragon blood are often known for their more dragon-like traits. Miraak slaughtered humans and dragons alike in his search for power, Talos brought all of Tamriel to heel in his thirst for conquest, Potema went off the deep end in the company of dead and Daedra.

As said by a wise old dragon, _they were made to dominate_.

And the Last Dragonborn was no exception.

The shadow drew back as she looked over her shoulder, pupil narrowed to a slit, fists clenching. Fire, ice and _force_ roiled beneath her skin, _aching_ to be unleashed.

"I think it would be unwise for you to test me, _My Prince_."

The shadow danced in agitation as the voice slithered past her other ear. " **Oh, really? Should I perhaps pay a visit to your darling daughters? I'm sure they'd enjoy my company… eventually**."

Yet another voice sounded out before she could do more than clench her fists.

" **Enough, Molag Bal. This is not the time for your jests**."

Around her, more shadows began to appear, each one forming into a different figure as the Seventeen Daedric Princes gathered around the Last Dragonborn. The one who'd spoken, perhaps the most powerful and dangerous of them all, stepped forward.

" **Mehrunes Dagon has no time for your meaningless squabbles, Huntress. We were brought here for a different purpose**."

"I wasn't the one who summoned you, Lord Dagon," she replied, inclining her head. "I don't even know what _I'm_ doing here."

"You are here because we have need of you, _Dovahkiin_ ," came another voice, this one sounding more… _human_.

She turned around, eyes widening, as she caught sight of her brother in all but name. "You honor me with your presence."

The God of Human-kind looked in amusement as the last of those who shared his blood actually bowed. A vivid slash across his throat stood out, but, where once it had made speaking difficult, he could now do so quite easily. "Come now, sister. No need for such esteem, certainly not for me. We are both kin to _dovah_ , after all," Talos said, smiling at his own joke.

" **What is the meaning of this, Talos**?" came Meridia's strict voice. " **This is Shor's domain, not yours. You have not the power, nor the authority to invite us here.** "

Talos grinned, heedless of the anger of the Princes. He looked over his shoulder as a light began to gather behind him, an enormous shape appearing in the clearing. "And who says I summoned you? I'll let our dear old Father explain."

As the light began to glow brighter and brighter, even the Last Dragonborn decided to look away. The Daedric Princes had no need to do so, but many of them, especially those with humanoid faces, began to scowl.

The Dragonborn, on the other hand, grinned. "Hi, Dad."

The glorious form of Akatosh, Chief Deity of the Nine Divines, God of Time and Creator of Dragons came into being, looking very much like the first species he had made.

Turning his head to glare at both of his half-children, he opened his mouth, and to the surprise of the Princes, roared at the younger.

Unblinking and unflinching as hot air washed over her face, she stood still as Akatosh nearly blew her backwards from the force of his bellow.

When it finally came to an end, her hair was frazzled and her clothes ruffled, but the smile never left her face.

"Still upset? I would've thought you'd be over it by now."

"Ha!" Talos laughed. "Akatosh, forgive a slight? I see you haven't forgotten your sense of humor in the years you've been here."

"And I'm still nowhere as long in the tooth, old man."

A few seconds passed before they both dissolved into guffaws, ignoring the other beings.

" **If you are _quite_ finished...** " Akatosh rumbled, annoyed at the both of them.

"Sorry, sorry. I can never resist a spar with my sweet and innocent little sister."

"And I can never resist the chance to show my big brother how moronic he is."

"Now, now, my dears. Surely there's no need for fighting here?" said another voice, this one softer.

Both turned to a figure at Akatosh's side, simultaneously straightening up, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry, Mother."

Mara, Goddess of Love and wife of Akatosh, smiled at them both.

" **Mara, please...** " the dragon-god growled.

"Do shut up, husband. I'm in the middle of making sure your children don't let their profanity become too... gripping," she said calmly, not even looking over at Akatosh.

Both Dragonborn grinned. "Whipped."

" **We did not summon everyone here to discuss the finer points of my marriage,** " he rumbled, a little more stiffly than usual. " **We came here for a different reason.** "

Finally seeing all of the Aedra becoming a bit more serious, she raised an eyebrow, looking around at the Nine.

"Something... strange... has happened, hasn't it?"

" **Ooh! I like where this is going!** "

" **Be silent, Sheogorath,** " Dagon growled. " **I still fail to see why I should stay here.** **I've half a mind to unleash some of my new plans upon Nirn, simply for the inconvenience.** "

A rock bounced of his forehead a second later. Aedra and Daedra blinked in unison, then turned to look at the daughter of Akatosh. "Now, now, Dagon. No need to get grouchy. I'm sure something important is happening."

" **Why you** —"

" **ENOUGH!** " Akatosh roared, a surging wave of his power stopping all conversation. " **We are not here to be distracted with petty arguments! My daughter is the point of this meeting, not our ancient grudges!** "

"Oh, dear. What did I do this time?"

"Surprisingly, sister, nothing," Talos muttered. "Father actually wasn't the one who summoned us."

The Dragonborn raised an eyebrow. "How do you square that with...?" She suddenly looked around at the group of the most powerful beings in Mundus with narrowed eyes. "What's going on?"

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Several Aedra and even a few Daedra started to look at her with expressions ranging from pity to excitement.

" **Congratulations, daughter** **mine,** " Akatosh rumbled. " **A new Elder Scroll has been created; the first in the history of Man and Mer. And from the small amount I have read, it appears to revolve almost entirely around you.** "

She turned to stare at him. Blinked once.

Then blinked again.

"...You wanna run that by me again?"

"We don't know how it happened," Talos stated quietly. "The Elder Scrolls are forever unchanging, but constantly in motion. Their very existence is a contradiction, yet they hold the power of fate in their writings. We Aedra can feel their presence constantly." Talos sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The one thing we've always known is that they simply _exist_. They have since before the Aedra, and will until the end of time. Whenever human scholars try to catalogue them, they simply move to a new location. This one, on the other hand, just _appeared_ ; slipped through a crack in space and time."

His sister raised an eyebrow. "...And Dad said that this one has something to do with me?"

" **It has everything to do with you,** " Akatosh said. " **Where the other Scrolls mentioned you in passing or fell into your hands, this one is _calling_ you. It aches to be held by the one it was made for. It is the thing that called us all here.** "

"Why?" she asked.

" **Read, child. You will find out soon,** " Nocturnal interjected, her arms folded. " **Yo** **u of all people should know that the Elder Scrolls are not inclined to take 'no' for an answer.** "

Another goddess, Kynareth, stepped forward, a soft smile on her face. "Whatever may befall you next, you have our blessings, Dovahkiin."

Held in her arms was an Elder Scroll.

Instead of the usual gold coloring, it was a shade of vibrant silver, brighter than moonlight, glowing emeralds set on both ends.

The Dragonborn took in a breath.

She really _could_ feel it. Like cold sparks. Her fingers tingled as she traced the edges.

"You never get used to these damn things," she muttered, rubbing at the cloth covering her right eye. "And if what I'm feeling from this thing is right, I don't even have time to go get my gear."

She scowled. _Damn Scroll_.

Turning to Talos, she fixed him with a glare. "Whatever happens, tell Lucia and Sofie I love them. And keep them safe."

The God of Man smiled. "Always."

The Last Dragonborn turned away and sighed. "Well, here goes," she said, and pulled the fragment of creation open.

Her uncovered eye widened as the writings of the Scroll began to glow.

And the last thing Fae saw in Nirn was gods and demons screaming.


	2. Dear Me, Where in Oblivion Am I?

**A/N: Forgot the disclaimer last chapter. I don't own Skyrim or LOTR. Wish I did. Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

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 **Chapter 2: Dear Me, Where in Oblivion Am I?**

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 _Year 2509 of the Third Age. Redhorn Pass, Misty Mountains_

"Are you quite well, milady?"

Turning around, Lady Celebrían of Imladris, wife of Elrond, shivered, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes, I'm fine."

The elven guard who'd asked looked at her in concern, but nodded. "Very well, let us know if you need anything," he said, nudging his horse forward to join his comrades, leaving her in solitude.

Looking around, she tried valiantly to stop her teeth from chattering. All elves shared a certain resistance to both heat and cold, but on this day, the pass of Caradhras was particularly frigid. Snow was falling in droves and a bitter wind from the north was sweeping over the side of the mountain.

She drew her cloak tighter around herself. ' _I wish I was home.'_

"Night is falling. We must stop soon," one of her guards said, talking to the captain. They hadn't told her their names, but Elrond insisted that she take them along.

"Why? What threats are you worried about? Nothing would dare attack us."

"It's already growing colder and night is falling. We need to find shelter."

Celebrían brushed some snow from her cloak and looked around. The sun was almost touching the horizon, and already she felt colder.

Then, for a second, she felt something else.

Her insides felt funny for a moment as a surge of _something_ passed over her. Looking up wildly, she saw a flash of light nearly two hundred feet further along the path.

"What was that?" the captain asked.

Celebrían lightly touched her left heel against her horse's flank, urging it forward. "Shall we go see?"

The captain looked back at her, surprised, but nodded. "As you wish, my lady."

As she rode past them at a light canter, she looked around again. The path here was wide, surrounded by rocky cliffs. Snow was making things hard to see.

"Lady Celebrían, you shouldn't get so far ahead!"

Turning, she glanced back at her guards, who were now trying to catch up.

And so, received a perfect view of what happened next.

In a flash, dozens of black arrows fell upon the group. Both elves and horses were struck, as her guard didn't even have a chance to raise their weapons before being cut down. Before she could do anything, another arrow pierced her thigh.

Celebrían had barely half a second to process that before her horse was struck in the flank and reared, throwing her to the snow as she gasped in pain.

She watched as her only escape galloped off.

"Ha! Look what we've got, boys!" a harsh voice growled over the howling wind. Looking up, her eyes widened.

' _Orcs!_ '

Hulking, twisted forms split away from the cliff face and walked over to the fallen elves.

Celebrían flattened herself against the snow and pressed her hand against the arrow wound on her thigh, gritting her teeth. Hot liquid seeped between her fingers.

Several of the orcs picked among the dead, scavenging for valuables.

Then, from far away, there was a sound like a animal howling in the night. The orcs paid no attention, still looking through the belongings of the dead elves.

' _I don't think they've seen me yet_ ,' she thought. ' _I have to get away!'_

The Lady of Rivendell turned and tried to drag herself away, bleeding and cold.

Then a hand seized her calf.

"Ooh, look what we've got here, boys!" an orc laughed. "A she-elf, fresh as can be!"

Celebrían shrieked as she was dragged backwards by her injured leg, into the waiting arms of the group of orcs.

* * *

"Gwah!" Fae yelped as she appeared in a flash of light, twenty feet above the ground. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen a random woman appear out of thin air, slam into a cliff face and then fall onto a somehow snow-free patch of ground.

"Sonofadraugr..." she grumbled as she pulled herself upright, rubbing her face. Fae spent the next minute looking herself over as she idly muttered under her breath. Aside from a few scratches and a bleeding gash on her cheek, she was mostly fine.

Suddenly, her head popped up.

Where was the Elder Scroll?

Her head swiveled as she tried to find any sign of it, but couldn't feel the _pull_ from anywhere close.

 _'Oh, that's just great. Like I don't have enough to worry about already._ '

Fae closed her eye and took in a breath. At the moment, she had no food, shelter, extra clothes, weapons or plan. Food and shelter could be easily acquired and she could use magic or her hands to fight if need be. Clothes might be a problem, since her shirt and trousers weren't made for any sort of blizzard.

She stood up and looked around, scowling. A rocky path high up in the mountains, snow falling all around, no food, no weapons, no armor, no idea where she was, _n_ _o Elder Scroll_ and _not a damn clue_ about what to do.

Anger and frustration reared up in her gut, then her stomach, then her lungs and then—

"RAAAH!" she roared into the sky.

For a second, Fae simply blinked, before visibly calming. "Hm. Haven't done that in a while."

Then she paused as a piercing shriek met her ears. Looking down the path, she cocked her head to the side. ' _Sounds like someone's in trouble. Great.'_

Dusting a bit of snow off her front, Fae rolled her shoulders and stretched. "Time to go be a hero again."

* * *

"Aah!"

"Quiet, you elf bitch!" an orc shouted at her.

Celebrían managed a glare at the creature who'd just thrown her against a wall, but she quickly began to wince. The pain in her leg was getting worse, and jostling the arrow around was not helping.

Glancing around, she tried to look for an exit. The walls of the cavern they were in seemed to be hewn by hand, though without any of the grace that elves, dwarves or men were capable of. A few bones and spiderwebs were all the decoration that were provided.

The group of orcs were busy piling up their spoils from her elven guards, snickering over their plunder. As she watched, a few of the orcs began to fight over choice pieces, pulling out knives and growling at each other. She grit her teeth as another twinge came from her thigh, and cursed the wetness that threatened to spill from her eyes. In the five thousand years she'd been alive, Celebrían had _never_ felt pain even remotely close to this!

A few of the larger orcs gathered together and started to whisper to each other, occasionally making a gesture in her direction. They began to walk over, grinning lasciviously.

"Well, she-elf, be thankful!" one growled. "We've decided not to kill you."

Celebrían's eyes widened and she looked around at the group. "W-what do you mean?" she stuttered.

One of them, a twisted, ugly thing with missing finger and rotting teeth, sneered down at her. "We _mean_ , you stupid woman, that we will be putting your mouth _and other parts of you_ to better use!"

They surged forward and she tried to scurry away, but the orcs were faster.

Dirty hands seized her dress and pulled her back, and the elf screamed as they touched places that _no one_ should touch.

The orc staring down at her reached for the top of her bodice with a lecherous smirk.

That ended when a _spear of ice_ pierced his chest.

Everything stood still as he stared stupidly at the cause of his death, reached up to try and remove it somehow, then toppled to the side.

Celebrían and the orcs all looked in stunned silence at the person standing at the entrance of the cave.

Fae glared at the group of... _creatures..._ surrounding the woman, and idly dispelled the ice magic that was gathering around her fingertips.

"Hm. What's all this, then?"

No one seemed to know how to answer.

Celebrían, for her part, stared at the woman in shock. With all her guards dead, miles away from her home, she'd expected a future of humiliation and terror.

But this woman, this _stranger,_ seemed to have other plans.

Walking forward, Fae cocked her head to the side. "Now, I'm no expert in local customs, but I would like to think that I stepped into a world with at least a _little_ taste. Therefore, I'm gonna have to stop you."

"Stop us?" the largest orc growled, pulling out a wicked looking knife. "I don't think you know what you just stepped into. I think we'll peel the flesh from your bones and have you for dinner! Unless we decide to let you join _her_!"

Here he gestured to Celebrían, who paled.

Fae, on the other hand, wasn't frightened. Oh no.

She was _angry._

"Really?" she asked, hands tightening into fists. Her eye darkened while she grinned at the orcs. "I think I'll take option three."

"There is no option three!"

"Oh, I beg to differ," she replied, her grin turning feral. "Option three is the one where I rip your guts out and hang you with them."

Celebrían and the orcs couldn't help but feel a chill run up their spines as they gazed at the woman. The leader, however, tried to bluster. "You think you can—"

The orc was cut off half a second later as a fist crashed into his chest. Everyone's eyes widened as they _heard_ several of his ribs break as he was flung into the far wall.

Fae wasn't done yet.

Charging forward, she jumped up and slammed a knee into another orc's face, _feeling_ it cave in.

Celebrían gawked as the woman as she systematically slaughtered the group of orcs.

There was no other word for it.

Every movement she took, every punch and kick she made carried an air of _brutality_ behind it, like this woman was not simply trying to fight them, but _destroy_ them.

The last orc fell with a gurgle, trying to breath around the dent in it's neck.

Fae took a breath and stretched. "Wow. That was intense."

Celebrían simply stared, mouth slightly open.

Kneeling down, Fae snapped her fingers in front of the shocked woman's eyes. "Oi. You alive in there?"

"Y-yes," the elf stuttered, still goggling.

"Good. I think we should leave before more of these things arrive."

Celebrían flinched at the mention of orcs, remembering what had nearly happened and began to struggle to keep from being sick.

Fae swore under her breath as the lady began to shake, going frightfully pale.

Stepping closer, she put her arms around the woman's shoulders and held her close.

"Shh," Fae said as she felt a few tears soak into her shirt. "Its alright, they're gone. They can't do anything to you now."

They stayed like that for a few minutes until the woman's quiet sobs had drained away, then she pulled back. "We should go. Can you walk? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that happens to be a bloody great arrow sticking out of your leg?"

Celebrían looked down at her thigh, where there was indeed still an arrow. "I... don't think I can walk."

"Okay," Fae replied, wrapping her hand around the arrow. "This'll hurt."

"What will— AAH!" the elf screamed as the shaft broke near her thigh. The scream tapered off into a whimper as Fae held her close.

"It's alright. I know you're hurt, but this makes it easier to carry you. Now we just need to wait for a moment."

"What... are you going to do?"

Fae gave her a long look, then sighed. "Something I haven't done in many... _many_ years."

As the elf watched, the woman drew a breath... _and then she heard it_.

" _ **Laas!**_ "

Celebrían shivered as she felt a surge of _magic_ over her skin, deeper and more powerful than any _she'd ever felt_.

Looking around, Fae frowned. For a place so high up in the mountains, there were a surprising number of people around. Surges of red danced around the edges of her vision in almost every direction, even straight down.

"I think it's time to leave."

Without waiting for confirmation, she pulled the elven lady into her arms, who squeaked at the sudden movement. Fae glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and Celebrían blushed and looked away.

"You heard nothing."

"Of course," Fae said, smirking.

* * *

 **A/N: Thought this would be a nice place to end it. Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Time to Rest, Time to Talk

**A/N: Hope you enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Time to Rest, Time to Talk**

* * *

Celebrían didn't know how long she'd been carried, but it was long enough that she began to doze, nestled into this young woman's arms.

For a long time, all she heard was the steady heartbeat of the stranger who was carrying her. At a later time, when she was feeling less drained, Celebrían would marvel at the fact that even after at least an hour of constant motion, the sound never varied.

So comfortable was she that she barely noticed when the woman's walking slowed, then stopped. When she felt contact with a cold, hard surface and the warmth began to recede, however, she opened her eyes.

" _No,_ " Celebrían whispered, not wanting to let go.

Fae took the woman's hand. "Don't worry. I'm making this place safe. I'm not going anywhere."

Celebrían was so exhausted that she didn't even argue. The events of the night were catching up to her, and she started to crash from the end of the adrenaline rush.

Fae smiled and removed her heavy leather jerkin, leaving her in a light wool undershirt, then paused. Feeling a bit of heat on the tips of her ears, she rolled up the woman's dress and took a look at her wounded thigh. Tearing off a sleeve of her jerkin, she wrapped it around the elf's leg, ignoring a few pained whimpers.

The bleeding was mostly stopped, which was a relief, but the problem was the arrowhead itself. It was still buried in the elf's leg, and she had absolutely no supplies to even begin to try to care for a wound like this. That wasn't necessarily a problem given that she was a master of the Restoration School of magic, but it was still somewhat worrying.

Fae shook her head. Time enough for that later. Those creatures could still be tracking them, the cave wasn't safe and it was so cold that even _she_ was starting to feel it.

Draping what was left of her jerkin over the woman's shivering form, she stood up and looked around.

After walking for a few miles, she'd found a small cave set in stone on the side of a cliff, farther down the pass than where the elves had been ambushed. After appearing in this strange world and deciding to be a Aedra-damned hero _AGAIN,_ Fae had come across them, or, at least, what remained of them. Most of the armor was gone and a few limbs had been hacked off. It had all the hallmarks of an ambush, although she had no idea what anyone would do with limbs. Aside from that, however, she'd immediately noticed the single trail that didn't belong to the ambushers.

Someone had been dragged away.

She'd managed to follow the faint traces of their presence while steadily growing closer.

Then Fae had heard the scream. And the time for subtlety was over.

She sighed in irritation and rubbed at the cloth over her left eye. ' _Damn me for always falling for a pretty face.'_

Fae looked back at the sleeping woman, who was starting to turn blue from the chill. Too late to make a different choice.

Walking to the mouth of the cave, she looked down at her hands, then the floor. Swells of magic colder than any ice began to dance around her arms. For a few seconds, she simply admired the small glittering patterns of ice misting off her hands, then focused back on her target.

Pointing her palms at the flattest part of the floor she could find, Fae felt it flowing through her.

A wall of ice, almost a foot thick, began to rise up on the ground, forming a near-perfect barrier against the cold and anything that managed to track them this far.

Leaving only a few holes so they could still breath, she walked back to the sleeping elf and sat down a few paces away. Finding a few fist-sized rocks, she gathered them in the middle of the cave in a small depression in the ground and sat down with the elf in her blind-spot.

Celebrían felt another flutter of power and slowly opened her eyes, nervously taking in her surroundings.

Both she and the woman who had rescued her were inside a different cave, evidenced by the lack of bones and cobwebs. The woman was currently sitting, leaned against the wall, knees drawn up. _Fire_ was streaming from a single hand, her palm pointed down at the floor.

Shifting slightly to take a closer look, she took in the few features of her rescuer that she could see. The woman-' _I don't even know her name!'_ \- was tall; Celebrían measured her in a single glance and could tell that this stranger might even be as tall as her mother, Galadriel. She was only wearing a sleeveless undershirt and trousers with a pair of smooth calf-high boots, as well as a band of black cloth that was wrapped around her head, covering her left eye. Shockingly red hair fell down past her shoulders, though the elvish woman caught sight of a small braid or two interspersed there. The lack of sleeves allowed Celebrían to see the subtle but clear muscle definition beneath the woman's smooth skin.

Despite the slightly bloody entrance, when Celebrían had first caught sight of the figure in the orc cave, she had thought that it might have been a survivor of the ambush, come to rescue her. A quick glance at her ears had disabused her of that thought.

Then she had decided to rescue Celebrían from the orcs.

The Lady of Rivendell shivered, not entirely because of the cold. In her years of life she'd seen hundreds, perhaps thousands of the greatest warriors any race could boast from Elves to Men to Dwarves.

And thinking of the fight in the cave, she could honestly say that she'd never seen _anything_ like it before. While being unarmed and unarmored, this woman had taken down a dozen orcs without getting a _single_ scratch! Her husband had trained for thousands of years and she doubted even _he_ could do that!

Maybe Celebrían could have come up with some way to explain away this woman's skills as natural talent, or some such, had it not been for a single instant during the fight when she'd caught sight of her face.

She was _smiling_! And looking completely relaxed at that!

Having nothing but her fists and feet while facing down a dozen opponents that would have happily split her in half and gnawed on her innards, _this woman wasn't even taking them seriously_!

Who in Ilúvatar's name was she?

Surreptitiously drawing a deep breath, Celebrían tried to relax. Given that she was in the stranger's blind-spot, she decided to risk a closer look. The woman had decided to divest herself of the leather jerkin, leaving only a thin, sleeveless undershirt that looked terribly ill-suited to be in the middle of a blizzard.

"How long before you say something?"

Celebrían froze. For a second, neither of them moved, and then the woman glanced over with a grin, meeting Celebrían's silvery eyes with her single blue-green.

"I mean, we have a long night ahead. Might as well get to know each other," she said, smiling. "My name is Fae. Pleasure to meet you."

Trying to regain _some_ propriety( _as well as calm her own rapidly beating heart_ ), Celebrían struggled upright from where she'd been laying down and managed to sit straight. "Good evening. I am Lady Celebrían of Rivendell, wife of Elrond, daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel."

Fae raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Well, if I'd known you'd want to be proper about it, I'd have added a few titles myself. Dragonslayer, or some such."

The elvish lady blinked at the nonsensical response. Focusing instead on the fire still coming out of… Fae's… hand, she asked the obvious question.

"How is it you have such powers? I've seen many magics in my life, but few command the power of ice or fire, let alone both at once."

This time it was Fae's turn to be surprised. "Really? Where I'm from, spells like these are some of the most basic in any of the schools of magic."

"You must come from a very distant land, then, for I have never heard of such a place." Celebrían replied, her curiosity aroused.

"Ha! That's certainly one way of putting it," Fae chuckled sardonically.

Meanwhile, she canceled her Flame spell after her seven minute countdown had ended. Celebrían blinked at the sudden loss of light, realizing that with the sun setting and no torches or candles, she'd been using the woman's flames to help her see. Most elves had near perfect night-vision, but the transition was still startling.

Both of them looked at the depression in the ground, where a group of large stones were now glowing cherry-red.

"What are those for?" Celebrían asked.

"Heat, mostly. Hot stones are a very efficient way to warm up a room, without the bother of having to constantly add more wood to a fire to keep it going. Also helps your eyes adjust to low light, so you wouldn't blind yourself if someone happened to wander in with whopping great furnace, or something. Less smoke too, come to think of it," Fae muttered, using another rock to jab the stones a few times, making sure they were nice and secure. "Just don't touch them. That would be bad."

"I would imagine," Celebrían said under her breath, making the other woman laugh.

Despite her words, however, she slid slightly closer to the stones, feeling them begin to make the chill recede. Fae, however, didn't move, seemingly content to lean against the stone wall.

Celebrían shivered again and pulled the short blanket against herself more tightly, confused that it seemed torn on one side. "Aren't you cold? Didn't you have something more substantial to wear?"

Fae grinned. "Not especially cold, no. I could swim through a frozen lake in no clothes at all and doubt I would feel anything other than damp. As for what I had before… well, you seem to be using it at this very moment."

Celebrían froze, and the expression of mortification on her face was so perfect that Fae nearly fell over in her fit of giggles. The elf, embarrassed, began to unwrap the garment from around her shoulders to hand it back, but Fae merely held up a hand, still amused.

"Keep it. You need it more than me."

Celebrían, blushing and glaring at the laughing woman, simply wrapped it around herself again. Perhaps the thing she was most embarrassed about, oddly enough, was how _comforting_ it was to have something to hold on to. She felt… safe.

While the Lady of Rivendell was struggling through her embarrassment, Fae stood up. ' _Time for the hard part,'_ she thought, walking a few paces over and kneeling down next to Celebrían, who glanced at her, confused.

"What is it?" she asked, and Fae grimaced.

"Unfortunately, there's something else we have to do tonight," she said, her eyes flickering to Celebrían's leg.

The lady in question looked down at the wound on her thigh and felt slightly ill. Enough blood had seeped out of it that her dress had started turning a unhealthy shade of red, and the area around the wound had become slightly numb.

"We need to get the arrow out before I can heal you," Fae said. Celebrían's gaze flickered up to look into her eye. "But it will hurt. A lot."

Celebrían looked at her for a long while, then back at her leg. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she slowly pulled back the hem of her dress, revealing a long expanse of perfect leg to Fae's eyes, who tried not to blush yet again.

Moving closer, she unwrapped the sleeve of her leather jerkin from around Celebrían's left leg. The elf in question paled as the bloody wound was revealed, and tried not to be sick. That wouldn't do at all.

"Lay down," Fae ordered, surprising the other woman, who glanced at her questioningly. "You're probably going to thrash a bit, so I'll have to hold you steady."

Celebrían tried not to panic. That moment where Fae had broken the arrow's shaft to carry her away from the orcs had hurt more than almost anything in her entire life. This would be worse.

Much, much worse.

"Hold on to my arm," Fae murmured, sensing her terror. "I know some magic that will heal the wound, but being able to focus would help. So try not to punch me."

Celebrían nodded, laying down. The Fae took hold of the shaft in one hand and reached over to Celebrían's right shoulder with the other, simultaneously pressing down on her midsection with a knee. The elf wrapped her hands around the woman's arm and tried to remain calm.

Fae smiled. A brave woman. "Alright, on three. One, two—"

And as she pulled the arrow out, Celebrían screamed.

She may have passed out as well, for the next thing she knew, Fae was had an arm wrapped around her shoulders as she sobbed and was whispering comforting words into her ear. At the same time, she felt an unusual sensation trailing over the wound.

Slowly, she managed to stop crying, but still clung desperately to the other woman. A minor Calm spell through Fae's other arm when Celebrían wasn't paying attention may have helped that along.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked thickly, her face still buried in Fae's shoulder.

The woman gave a little shrug. "Using a Healing spell on your leg," she muttered. "The wound itself wouldn't normally take this long, but the arrow was poisoned. My spell is helping your body fight it off, but it's a persistent bugger. Doesn't seem to like someone telling it to go away."

Celebrían managed a quiet laugh, and slowly pulled away, trying to wipe her eyes. Fae smiled softly.

"I'm impressed, Celebrían," she said, trying out the elf's name for the first time. The Dragonborn found she liked it. "I've rarely seen a braver patient."

The patient in question glared up at Fae. "I don't believe you."

Whatever she was expecting from such a caustic statement, it wasn't for the woman to burst into cackles.

"Ha! Oh, trust me, I've seen plenty of strong people in my life, men and women both. And however much the 'fearsome warriors' might extoll their bravery on the battlefield, most turn into whiny little girls if they so much as scrape their widdle knees."

Giggling quietly at the mental image, Celebrían sighed and settled back into Fae's arms, barely managing to keep her eyes open.

"I… don't think I ever thanked you for saving me," she murmured.

"Pleasure was all mine. Didn't think I'd meet someone so interesting so soon," Fae replied with a smile. "Sleep, Celebrían. We'll talk again in the morning."

Her eyes felt heavy, but she managed to look at Fae one last time. "You'll… still be here… right?"

"Promise."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**


	4. Back to Basics

**Chapter 4: Back to Basics**

* * *

In a small cave, high in the mountains, two people were laying down.

One was sleeping, too exhausted to think about the future any longer.

The other found that was all she _could_ do.

Fae hit herself in the head a few times. ' _What have I gotten myself into?_ '

She stood up and began to pace, thoughts whirling.

She was far from Tamriel. Of that she was certain. Over a long period of time, Fae had become increasingly aware of links she could sense. Links to people, places or objects. Now, it felt like all of them were... muted. Less clear, less powerful. Every connection she had established, magical or otherwise, had diminished. She'd become quite aware of this the first time she'd cast a spell.

In her hurry to find the ambushers, she'd forgotten that her restraints weren't activated.

She was actually _glad_ that the connection to her magicka reservoir was somehow less powerful, or her little ice spell would have stabbed _through_ the creature... and a solid chunk of the mountain behind it.

Glancing down at her hand, Fae resolved to practice casting spells and see if there was something similar to magicka in this world she could tap into.

Although one thing that was abundantly clear to Fae was that her _Thu'um_ was just as powerful as ever. She was still seeing small streaks of red no matter where she looked.

Just as well _those_ restraints were still active, else she'd probably be seeing streaks of red by the time next week rolled around.

Taking a deep breath, Fae tried to calm down, a wry smile pulling at her lips. ' _Ne_ _w life, new places, new magic. New people to meet... and talk to... and fight... and steal from.'_

Glancing over at the still sleeping Celebrían, Fae smiled and sat down next to her, idly brushing a strand of silver hair from her face.

' _And somehow_ _, I feel like Celebrían might be the key to unlocking this new world,'_ Fae mused, glancing away with a small grin. When she happened to look back, she blinked in surprise. ' _And she's... glowing.'_

Rubbing her eye, Fae squinted.

No change.

It was subtle, but it was there; a soft light was emanating from Celebrían's body, making her smooth skin glow in the darkened cave.

"Never seen elves do that," she mused, absently poking the group of rocks in the center of the cave. "Least she's not a mushroom."

In the next few hours, her thoughts turned in every direction possible, all while she occasionally tried to keep comfortable in a cavern that was _nothing_ but uncomfortable.

It was a while later that the sun began to rise.

The ice wall Fae had erected was too thick for much light to seep through, but the small holes she'd left on the edges allowed a few sunbeams to light up the cavern.

As it happened, one shone through. Right into her eye.

Shivering in annoyance, Fae gave a jaw-popping yawn, lightly rubbed her eye with one hand and blocked the sunlight with the other.

Waiting for a second, she leaned up against the wall and stretched out lithely, rolling around like a cat after a long nap.

Finally, the mage waved a hand, dispelling the ice wall she'd been maintaining. It was odd, she mused. The thing could stop a dozen bolts from a Dwemer crossbow as long as she was still focusing on it, but the second the magicka flow stopped it became weaker than a block of _cheese_.

And speaking of cheese...

Her stomach rumbled.

Standing up, Fae walked over to the diminishing wall of ice and picked up a handful of snow that had built up outside. Using a small amount of snow, she began washing her hands of some blood that had remained after last night's debacle. After that was done, she reached to a clean section of snow. Scooping it into her hands, she walked back over to the small pit in the cave floor where the small group of stones still glowed, and dropped the handful on top. Steam began to form as the snow melted. Walking back and forth, she continued to take handfuls and add them to the small depression, where a pool of water slowly began to grow. Using another flame spell, she heated a larger rock and dropped it into the puddle, watching the water start to fizzle and spit.

It was during the middle of this that Fae heard a small sound. Glancing over at her now shivering companion, she smiled and crawled over, breathing a small, "Hey, sleepy. Wake up," in Celebrían's ear.

The elf in question heard the whisper and blearily opened her eyes. Most of what she saw was a blur. Blinking a few times helped her focus on a woman smiling down at her.

"...Fae?" she asked, gradually remembering the events of the previous night. "Where are we? What is this place?"

"A little cave in the middle of nowhere," the thief replied bluntly, settling back on her heels. "I would have gotten farther from the last one we were in, but I didn't want to risk it with the arrow in your leg."

Celebrían, who'd been rubbing a sore spot on her thigh, suddenly blanched as she remembered _where_ the sore spot had come from.

Feeling at the wound on her leg, she realized _that_ _there_ _was no wound_. Looking up at her sitting companion, Celebrían regarded her with awe. Whatever magic this... _unbelievable_ woman had used had healed her leg! She knew of several healers, of which her husband was clearly the most notable, both in distant lands and Rivendell. And it was not an exaggeration to say that not a _single one_ _of them_ could heal such a wound in less than an _hour_.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" Fae asked, snapping her fingers in front of Celebrían's eyes. The Lady of Rivendell blinked once, blushing profusely as she realized she'd been staring... for a while.

"Ah... um... w-well, I was just wondering where you learned to do... _this_ ," she stammered, vaguely gesturing at her leg.

Fae smiled at the flustered she-elf. "A small amount of natural talent, a smidgen of training and... quite a lot of personal experience."

Ignoring Celebrían's sudden look, she shuffled backward. Fae cupped her hands and dipped them into the small pool, noting that it had chilled slightly from the morning cold in spite of the hot rocks in the center. Lifting the pleasantly cool water out of the pool, she walked over to Celebrían again, holding up her hands.

"Drink," she said with a smile.

Glancing at the water, Celebrían suddenly realized how dry her mouth was. A combination of few provisions among her group of guards and a long, exhausting night was catching up to her.

"Is... is it clean?" she asked, terribly thirsty.

"Of course. Best way to clean water is to boil it first," Fae said, grinning at Celebrían's eager expression and held the water a bit closer. "Go ahead."

Sitting up and cupping Fae's hands in her own, she slowly lowered her lips to the edge of the water and began to drink. In only a few moments, the small pool was drained, evidenced by her near touching of her companion's smooth palms.

Drawing back with a sigh of contentment, Celebrían caught her breath after several seconds of steady drinking, closed her eyes and leaned against the wall with a sigh.

Thankfully her Aura Whisper had faded two hours before. Trying to look at someone when they're alive with red streaks could be distracting. Smiling a little, Fae took the silence as a chance to examine the elven woman more closely.

Straight, silvery hair framed a beautiful face, a small circlet of bright metal keeping the strands in place. Tall and slim, her once-beautiful dress was stained with dirt and blood. Her ears pointed out past her hair, identifying her as an elf. Despite that, the Dragonborn couldn't help but notice that she looked more... _human_ than any descendant of the Ehlnofey that Fae had ever seen.

Not that she wasn't gorgeous, of course.

"Are you alright?" the mage asked, her ears slightly pink.

Celebrían opened her silver-flecked eyes and gave a slight smile. "Yes, and... I'm glad you're still here, Fae."

Grinning, the Dragonborn rubbed the back of her neck with a single hand. "I promised, didn't I?"

Swallowing slightly as she felt a prickling at the corners of her eyes, Celebrían managed a nod. "W-what should we do now?"

"Now...," Fae muttered, glancing up at the elven lady, a small smirk on her face. "Well. Now we find food. And after, we get you back to this Rivendell, of yours. That's where you want to go, right?"

"Yes... I would very much like to see my home again. Though it is far away," Celebrían replied, suddenly wondering if this woman might not want to accompany her.

For a reason she couldn't quite name, the thought hurt, a little.

"Hm, well, considering I have no idea where I am, why I'm here or what I'll do...," Fae replied, before standing up and smiling. "...I see no other choice. Consider me your escort, milady. I'll see you safely back. The journey might be long, but I'd rather have someone I like beside me." She reached down with a single hand, which Celebrían took. Fae pulled the elf to her feet, spun around in excitement and gave a happy grin. "After all, I'm new here. _I can't wait._ "


	5. Road Goes On

**Chapter 5: Road Goes On**

* * *

Fae glanced around at the small cavern in which they had slept.

Both of them were preparing to start their journey back to Rivendell. Considering how little both she and Celebrían had, there wasn't much to do. Fae sidled over behind the noblewoman.

"So?" she asked into Celebrían's ear, making her flinch, nearly falling over as her foot hit a patch of ice. Fae reached a hand out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"S-so, what?" Celebrían stuttered, flushing at how close her companion was. They were practically nose to nose. After a second of close scrutiny of the rapidly reddening she-elf, Fae stepped away, her eye twinkling.

"So, mind telling me what your home is like? I'm curious."

She brightened immediately. "Rivendell, known to the elves as Imladris, the Last Homely House East of the Sea, is one of the great elven domains of Middle-earth. It is—"

"Where's Middle Earth?" Fae interrupted, sounding confused.

Celebrían's jaw dropped. "What… what do you mean, ' _Where's Middle-earth_ '? You're standing on it! It's what this land has been called in the Common Tongue since the language has existed! Where have you been living all your life?"

Here the woman tilted her head and smiled a mischievous little smile. "In a distant land, very… _very_ far from here."

The elf looked at her strangely. "And just how far away is that?" For a few seconds, her severe expression remained, before melting away into curiosity. "…Where _are_ you from?"

Fae's smile nearly touched her ears. "Another world, of course," she said, turning and walking out of the cave. After staring at nothing for a few seconds while digesting that statement, Celebrían followed, her mind awhirl with questions.

She stepped past the threshold of stone and emerged, looking to the horizon at a rising sun. Outlined against the light stood her companion, gazing out across the landscape, down the snow-covered mountains and across the plains and forests of Eriador. Stepping up to Fae's left, Celebrían gave her a sidelong glance.

"Just _who_ are you?"

"Fae Talos," she replied absently. "If you'd like a more detailed list of my titles or accomplishments, you'll have to get to know me better. And given that this Rivendell place is a long way away, I expect you'll have a long time to do so." Waving a hand to the snow-covered path, the red-haired woman grinned. "Lead the way, my Lady."

With a slight narrowing of her eyes, Celebrían stepped past her and began to walk, slightly annoyed at the dismissal of her question.

For a while, they marched in silence as Celebrían remained stubbornly quiet. Her attempts at ignoring her new companion seemed fruitless, since Fae seemed to be amused by her silence, if anything.

Finally she could contain herself no longer. "Tell me about yourself?" She'd meant for it to sound like a demand, but instead it came out rather timid.

Fae managed to pull off an innocent expression. "Oh, are we talking now?"

"You are insufferable," Celebrían muttered, scowling.

"I try," Fae replied, an impish smile on her face. Managing to get her amusement under control, she adopted a somewhat serious expression, though the smile remained. "What do you want to know?"

Celebrían blinked, surprised at the sudden acceptance. Her boots crunched along the snow as she wondered what to ask.

"The magic you used earlier, can you tell me about it?"

Fae nodded. "Alright. Where I'm from, we call it the 'Clever Craft', though calling that always struck me as a little bit arrogant. Being smart doesn't count as much as a drive to succeed and a lot of hard work."

The path began to wind downwards, becoming a bit more steep than Celebrían was comfortable with. Still she tried to pay attention to both her feet and to Fae at the same time.

"The traditional six schools that I grew up learning are the Illusion, Alteration, Conjuration, Restoration, Enchanting and Destruction schools. All of them are focused on ways of reshaping the world through the application of magicka." Seeing Celebrían's questioning look, she smiled. "Just the technical term most people use. Enchanting and, to a lesser extend, Alchemy, are focused on using magic to create concrete and tangible materials. Enchanted objects and potions, respectively, though potion ingredients aren't always magical. All the others are a bit more complicated."

Here she drifted off for a second, seemingly lost in thought. Celebrían glanced at her, confused at the sudden silence. Her foot slipped on a steep patch of ground. In a single movement, Fae seized her arm, swung her around and swept her up. The noblewoman gave a distinctly un-ladylike yelp as she was pulled off her feet into Fae's arms.

"W-what are you doing?" she protested, squirming in the red-head's grasp.

"This terrain is becoming a bit too treacherous for my liking," she said easily, shooting a little smirk down at the she-elf. "Especially for someone so clumsy."

While Celebrían was staring at her in stunned disbelief, Fae was stepping, sliding and jumping down the path. Although, 'path' was a nice word for something that could charitably be called a slope.

" _Clumsy_!" Celebrían shrieked. "I will have you know- never in my life- how dare you!"

"I didn't say it was entirely your fault," Fae soothed, glancing at the dark stain on Celebrían's otherwise beautiful dress. "Neither of us have had any food in a while, it's frightfully frigid out here and this path is getting mighty steep. Frankly, you shouldn't be walking at all. Don't think I haven't noticed you favoring your strong leg."

"Well… I…" Celebrían meekly subsided, annoyed with herself for being so quick to anger.

"Doesn't matter. I'm committed to seeing you home, happy and healthy. Even if you're miserable by the time I drag you back."

Celebrían gave her a flat stare. "That makes no sense."

"Oh, I know," Fae said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "But then, being sane has always bored me."

The Lady of Rivendell shook her head, unconsciously getting more comfortable in Fae's arms. "You are the strangest person I have ever met."

"Thank you," the red-head replied, not at all offended. "Now tell me more about this 'Middle-earth' of yours."

Celebrían brightened, and began to speak. Time stretched on for the next few hours as they traded stories and tales while Fae carried her down the mountainside. It was approaching noon when they finally made it to a relatively horizontal part of the trail. Here the Nord let Celebrían slip out of her arms to walk on her own.

She didn't know whether or not to feel happy about that. She'd been _comfortable_!

Still, Celebrían quietly marveled at the strength and grace Fae had displayed. Even after running down the slope more nimbly than any creature of the mountains, her breathing was still steady, with only a light sheen of sweat on her temple betraying any kind of exhaustion.

"—and so Durin the Deathless established the city of Khazad-dûm in the caverns he discovered above the Mirrormere. And for thousands of years, his kin have tunneled under the Misty Mountains, searching for treasures and precious metals."

Fae gave a small smile. It was interesting to listen to Celebrían's stories. "Hm… do you think they would allow us in if we asked?"

Celebrían shook her head, her smile dropping. "No. I'm afraid there are no dwarves left in that city."

"Why not?" Fae asked, raising an eyebrow. "Surely such a prosperous place would still have some people occupying it, even after so long?"

"Well…" Celebrían said, hesitating slightly. "I only know about what happened from what few reports survived…"

Fae stopped walking, peering keenly at the silver-haired elf.

The daughter of Galadriel shivered under her gaze and began to speak. "A little over five hundred years ago, as the dwarves delved even further into the rock, they discovered something. Something… horrible."

Fae stepped closer, her blue-green eye alight with concern. "Tell me."

"… A Balrog," she whispered. "One of the ancient creatures that helped to almost destroy the world thousands of years ago. Ancient soldiers of the Dark Lord Morgoth, those… _things…_ were cruel, merciless and _powerful_. Each could kill dozens or hundreds of my people by themselves, and that's if they were feeling _bored_."

"And if one of them attacked a city of miners, craftsmen and smiths…"

"Few would make it out alive," Celebrían finished, wrapping her arms around herself and shuddering.

"Hmm," Fae mused, finger on her chin. "I might go and pick a fight with it one day."

Celebrían goggled at her.

"What- are you MAD!?" she yelped. "That creature is far beyond the strength of any mortal! It is one of the Maiar, corrupted into a terrible form of flame and ash and darkness! My mother is one of the strongest people I know, and even _she_ would not be able to defeat it unscathed!"

"…Sounds like quite a woman, your mother."

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Fae said, waving off Celebrían's concerns. "Lets keep going, I bet you're getting hungry."

"I am not—" she began, before being cut off by a small rumble from her stomach. Fae struggled not to laugh while Celebrían glared at her.

Then the red-haired woman looked up at the sky, then at the ice-capped mountains behind and the snow-laden trees around.

"I like this place," she mused, turning around and walking backwards, looking up at the branches they had passed. "I don't know much about it, but I think I'll like living here."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about this chapter, I know it's mostly filler. Next one'll have more action, promise.**


	6. Eat, Train, Run

**Chapter 6: Eat, Train, Run**

* * *

"So... any food around here that you can think of?" Fae asked, seeing little else but snow everywhere she looked.

They walked between the tall pine trees, the sun shining through the branches overhead. She could hear little but the crunching of her own boots and the sound of running water far off in another part of the forest. The red-haired woman noticed her companion, not so much walking as gliding over the snow.

"How are you doing that?"

Celebrían glanced up, startled at the sudden question. She hadn't really been paying attention to anything as her thoughts were continually awhirl. Everything Fae had said and done so far was swarming around her mind as she tried to make some sense of the red-haired woman. For every question answered, another five seemed to spring up.

"Doing what?"

"Moving across the snow like that. I know for a fact that you are neither light, nor well trained enough to do that instinctively."

Celebrían narrowed her eyes. "Thank you for being so frank."

"You're welcome," Fae replied brightly. "But still, that's makes two questions you haven't answered."

"What was the first?" Celebrían asked, getting more confused by the second.

Fae smiled and decided to take little pity on the distressed elf. "Do you think there's any food that can be acquired around here?"

The elf stared at her blankly for a few seconds, trying to think of something. "I... I'm not sure."

"Fine. New plan then."

"You actually had a plan?"

"Ha, ha. We're going to find a place to sleep for the night and then I'm going to go hunt," Fae said, glancing around at the snow to try and spot some animal tracks. _'Deer or elk, hopefully, but I don't even know if they have those here.'_

"...Hunt?" Celebrían asked hesitantly.

"Mm-hm," the red-haired woman said, still looking around. "Why? Something wrong?"

"...My people are not usually wont to slaughter animals for food."

Fae actually stopped in her tracks and stared at Celebrían with a wide eye. She hadn't expected to hear _that._

"Really?"

Confused and unnerved by the sudden intensity of the woman's gaze, Celebrían nodded. "Y-yes."

Looking her up and down, Fae blinked a few times. "Definitely not a wood-elf, then."

"No, I am a High elf, one of the Ñoldor..." Celebrían said. Then she blinked once. "Wait a moment, how do _you_ know I am not a Silvan elf? To most Men, we are not so different in appearance."

Fae looked at her strangely. "...Do you think I'm carrying these pumpkins under my shirt for the fun of it? You realize that I'm a woman, right?"

Celebrían went slightly cross-eyed, her cheeks tinted pink. This conversation was starting to make her head hurt. Before she could say anything, though, the woman held up a hand. "Oh, what now?"

Fae didn't respond, staring deeper into the woods. Without a word, she walked forward and knelt down in the snow, staring at the ground curiously.

"Well, these are interesting." Celebrían turned and strode over, glancing down. Sunk into the snow was a single set of tracks. "These look like something a wolf would make," Fae said, her head tilted in contemplation. "Only I've never seen ones this big before. From the paw size, they'd have to be as big as horses." She glanced up at Celebrían, who had paled. "Do you know what they are?"

"...Wargs," she whispered. "The monstrous Wolves that make their homes here, in the Misty Mountains. They are dangerous and immoral, known to make alliances with goblins. I doubt they'd think much of having us for supper."

"And given how much a normal-sized wolf can eat, we wouldn't even be a decent morsel to a whole pack of them," Fae mused, only to wince as Celebrían hit her on the shoulder.

"That is not helpful," the elf ground out, before turning around. "We can't stay here." She did a double-take as her escort reached over and took hold of her hand. "What are you doing? We need to leave!"

Fae narrowed her eye. "...Do we?"

"What are you talking about? If the Wargs catch us in their territory, they'll make a meal out of both of us!"

"They won't."

Turning back around to face her fully, Celebrían tried to make the red-haired woman see sense. " _They will kill us_!"

Fae let go of her hand and gave her an odd little half-smile.

"They can't. 'Cause I won't let 'em."

She started walking. "Now let's go find a place to rest, you look done in."

Celebrían simply followed, dazed. This woman seemed to take pleasure in constantly confusing her.

They walked for a while through the snow, Fae leading. Celebrían kept trying to make sense of everything, while her eyes darted around. The sun was getting high in the sky by then, and it gave her a little comfort to know that the fruit of Laurelin would make the Wargs wary of going out of their dens. They didn't share the Goblin's hatred of sunlight, let alone the Troll's reaction to it, but they certainly didn't like it either.

"We should keep walking while there's light out," the she-elf said.

Fae nodded, her own mind still awhirl.

Despite every option and path she was still considering, she remained mindful of the fact that Celebrían was trying not to limp. The former injury would probably be sore for a little while yet, which made her a bit worried. While her half-hearted Ice Spike had served perfectly well in dealing with that ugly creature the night before, her Healing Hands simply should not have taken as long as it did. _Especially_ since her magical restraints weren't even active!

The poison itself had been an unusual one. Magic, of a sort Fae had never encountered before, had been woven into it. And if her instincts were correct, it wasn't to make it more pleasant.

For a long while afterwards, they simply walked. The sun reached its zenith in the sky, bringing Celebrían some small comfort against the chill that pervaded the forest. The mountains they'd left behind and the trees they walked through both provided a shield against the frigid wind. It was still high winter though, when the land was at its coldest.

"You know where your home is, don't you? This 'Rivendell' of yours?" Fae asked suddenly. "The direction, I mean?"

Celebrían nodded. "I do. But..."

Fae came to a slow stop, raising an eyebrow at the she-elf.

"But...?"

She looked up, staring the red-haired woman in the eye. "But, we're not going to Rivendell."

Celebrían had worried about Fae's reaction to her pronouncement. A number of scenarios had occurred to her, many ending in the woman walking away and leaving her to fend for herself.

But that faded when the only thing that happened was a big smile appearing on Fae's face.

"Ooh, so we're going to a mysterious place! I can hear the adventure beckoning from here!" she said, grinning wildly at the idea.

Her companion simply put a hand to her face, sighing.

"...Nothing so dramatic," she said slowly. "We will simply go to a place much closer than Imladris. A place where no Orc or Warg would dare follow."

Fae leaned forward a little, her smile radiant. "And where are we going?"

Celebrían turned to look off into the distance. "To the woods of Lothlórien."

Smiling herself, she turned back to look at her eager companion.

"We're going to see my mother."


	7. Hunt

**Chapter 7: Hunt**

* * *

"Careful!" Fae called, half a second before Celebrían lost her footing and slid down an icy incline.

They'd left the small patch of forest behind a while ago, and were now traveling through a snow covered lowland. The dull brown skeletons of large bushes dotted the landscape here and there. In the summer, she imagined, the earth would be covered with grass and plants, but anything that managed to stay above the snow probably hadn't lasted much longer than things that were buried.

Throughout the day, they'd been coming across several streams, many of which cut through the landscape, separating one snowy stretch of land from another. Each one was now frozen over, but they'd been lucky enough to find several makeshift bridges, ranging from fallen trees to jutting boulders.

Unfortunately, the most recent brook they'd come across didn't have any in sight. Thus, Celebrían had tried to jump from one bank to the other, right before the snow gave out from under her foot.

Which led to the current situation. Resistant to cold elves may be, but not _that_ resistant.

Celebrían jumped up from the bitterly cold water with a yelp. Fae watched her flail around for a few seconds, simultaneously trying to keep her dress above the water and her feet out of it. The banks were steep and slippery from heavy snowfall, so Celebrían struggled while trying to climb up back up.

Shaking her head with a rueful smile, Fae stepped close to the edge and held a hand out for the elf to take.

"Come on," she said softly. "I've got a better way of getting across."

Sighing, Celebrían reached up and grasped Fae's hand, no longer so surprised by the ease with which the woman pulled her up. Once on dry land, so to speak, she grimaced and knelt down, trying to rub some heat back into her calves.

"Here we go..."

Glancing up, her eyes widened at the sight of her escort, who's right hand was wreathed in ice.

Smiling, Fae lifted her arm, magic pooling in her palm to make what she envisioned a reality.

A long, jagged spike of ice began to grow out of the ground on the bank, stretching higher and farther, then curving downward until it connected all the way to the other side, forming a small bridge.

"After you," Fae said with a grin.

Celebrían looked away, pouting. "Show-off."

"And proud of it."

Once they were both across and on their way again, Fae let the make-shift bridge melt away and turned to her associate. "So... anything I should know?"

"What?"

"Anything pressing you want to tell me before we get to this Lothlórien place of yours? Any customs I should be aware of, or...?"

Celebrían raised an eyebrow. "...I must say, I'm quite surprised. _You_ are concerned about appearances and politeness?"

Fae waved a hand in front of her face. "'Course not. I just want to know so I can laugh at you all behind your backs for being so depressingly _civilized_."

"Hilarious," the elf sighed, somehow not surprised. "If you are bent on being rude, then I would ask a favor of you."

"Oh? This should be good."

"Do not be so unmannerly around my parents," Celebrían said seriously. " _Especially_ not my mother."

Fae raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because there are very few people who get away with doing so," the silver-haired woman stated. "Age and wisdom may have helped to temper Galadriel of Lothlórien, but her pride has not gone anywhere. Mother is wise and fierce, and she commands respect from all of my people, and from many others besides. There are very few beings in this day and age that have a hope of challenging her."

The woman blinked. "...This gets more exciting by the minute."

"Fae," Celebrían said, reaching over and putting a hand on the woman's shoulder, stopping them both. "I am asking you. Just... don't do anything that will make her angry. I may have only known you for a short time, but I'd hate for you to be obliterated before we even get to know each other."

The red-haired woman was silent for a little while, surprised at the emotion in her companion's voice.

Then, she gave a slight grin. "I haven't been in this world long, Celebrían, but I don't plan on leaving it anytime soon. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Before she could even begin to argue, Fae held up a hand and cut her off. "We're about a league and a half from Lothlórien, right?"

"Yes... how did you know?"

Fae smiled, tapping her temple with a single finger. "I can _feel_ it. And anyway, we should start walking faster."

The elf crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Why is that?"

Fae drew closer with two forward steps and, to Celebrían's surprise, threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't look now..." she replied, speaking softly. "But I think we're being followed. More of those weird-looking creatures from last night."

"Orcs!" the silver-eyed woman breathed. "They're actually following us? In daylight?"

Fae raised an eyebrow, confused at the last statement. "Well, I do believe the sun is out..." Then, her eye widened. "Wait a minute. Those things are _Orcs_?" She turned to look bemusedly up at the horizon, suddenly cold at the thoughts and memories beginning to plague her mind. "This world gets stranger by the minute."

"What? Why?" Celebrían asked, wide-eyed and confused. "Fae, what's going on? What should we do?"

"...Do what most normal people would do in this situation," she replied, taking the elf's hand. " _Run!_ "

And before Celebrían could even say anything, they were off.

For the next fifteen minutes, It was only a little while before they started to hear howls behind them. Fae's boots crunched as she ran through the snow, up hills and past obstacles, tugging the she-elf along. They passed through another sparse grove of trees, which she noticed were significantly bigger than the ones nearer to the mountain.

Ignoring the increasing tickle at the back of her mind, she slowed to a halt to let Celebrían catch her breath. For a while, they both stood behind a small boulder, Fae peaking out to look for enemies. Howls began to sound out again from behind them, louder this time.

"Those'll be the Wargs, then," she muttered. "Let me guess, they can be trained? Maybe even ridden?"

"Yes, Orcs and Wargs often form such partnerships," Celebrían said breathlessly, more tired than she was comfortable with. She blinked when she felt a hand press against her head and saw Fae staring at her, looking concerned.

"...You're burning up," the red-haired woman observed. "I shouldn't be pushing you so hard. I may have purged the toxin from your system, but that poison took a toll on you. You still need time to rest and recover."

"And I will have that soon enough," Celebrían replied, her eyes shining. "Lothlórien is in sight. Once we reach the wood, my mother's influence will protect us."

"If you say so," the part-time thief muttered as she glanced backwards at the tall, strange looking trees they were running towards. "Let's keep moving. They're getting closer."

They stood up and began to walk, leaving the cover of the boulder behind and beginning to cross a large, open stretch of ground.

Fae was in the midst of thinking hard. While it might be possible for her to turn back and work out some kind of deal with the giant wolves, she wouldn't bet too much on them being agreeable. This whole situation didn't sit well with her. From what she could gather, Celebrían didn't seem to think that the ambush the previous night was unusual. Perhaps the Orcs of this world had a habit of attacking travelers on the road?

Although to call them Orcs was just _odd_. The ones she'd seen were misshapen and crippled, with badly-healed bones and clumsily-stitched wounds. But she could tell that the problem was _deeper_ than that. Something beyond their bent and broken forms, something... wrong. She'd known many an Orc in her day, and none were as... _dark_ _..._ as these ones were.

All the same, though, her silver-eyed associate seemed to think that they did not enjoy the sun. Which, if that were true, for some odd reason, would be even more worrying.

These Orcs disliked the sun. Yet they were still out and about only a little after high noon.

The implications warranted further thought.

"We're almost there," Celebrían said, distracting Fae from her thoughts.

And indeed, she noticed, they were.

Stretching high above them were the trees she'd noticed from far away. And now that they were closer, she took some time to glance up at them.

Describing them as eye-catching wouldn't be an exaggeration. Smooth grey bark covered the trunks, each one stretching higher into sky than most trees she'd ever seen. From the outstretched branches sprouted large golden leaves that caught the light of the sun, setting the canopy alight with a gilded glow.

"They are the Mallorn," Celebrían uttered, noticing her interest. "Trees that grew from seeds my mother brought from Lindon in the Second Age. They are the only such trees that remain East of the Sea."

When the red-haired woman didn't respond, she glanced over, and noticed an odd look on her face.

" _They're coming_."

In a flash, Fae had turned around and shoved Celebrían out of the way, just as a long, black-shafted arrow struck her in the left shoulder.

She had half a second to stare open-mouthed at the arrow sticking from the red-haired woman's body.

Stunned, she realized that if Fae had not pushed her aside, it would have struck _HER_.

Her escort grunted in irritation.

"So you want to play rough, do ya?" Fae growled, her emerald-sapphire eye flickering with a harsh light.

Beside her, still on the ground, Celebrían shivered. She'd been out in the frigid wilderness in high winter for nearly a week, going from snow-covered forests to the tallest mountains.

And as she stared at Fae, she realized that in all that time, she'd _never_ felt as cold as she did in that moment.

Magic began to surge along the tall woman's frame, waves of energy emanating from her.

And all of a sudden the world seemed to grow radiant.

Celebrían had no idea how it happened. Her senses became acute and her mind became sharper. She felt the tiniest snowflake on her skin, the gentlest breeze through her hair. She could hear the far-off barking of dozens of Wargs and the soft growl emanating from between her companion's clenched teeth.

The feeling was indescribable.

Fae raised her hands, vivid purple magic gathering between them.

"Here's something I haven't used in a while," she said.

And in only a moment, a long, glowing recurve bow appeared in her hands.

Celebrían gaped. Using the power of ice and fire was one thing, but this woman had just created a corporeal object out of nothing but energy! A highly intricate and, from the look of it, highly deadly one at that!

Fae reached up, grasping one of the arrows from her purple quiver.

"100 shots. That's plenty. But will I be fast enough to fire them all, I wonder?" she said, glaring off in the direction of the barking. "Maybe. But I'd like to be sure."

Turning her head, Celebrían also looked into the distance, seeing the small, fast-approaching shapes of dozens of Wargs and Orcs.

"And for that... _I'll need a bit of speed,_ " Fae growled.

And as the red-haired woman took in a breath, Celebrían gasped as the feeling from earlier increased ten-fold.

" _ **Su!"**_

In an instant, magic of a different sort surged over her arms, wisps of wind swirling over the weapon in her hand.

Celebrían blinked, and Fae had a arrow to the bowstring, drew it back—

"Eat this, you sons of—"

And released _._

* * *

The lead Orc in the hunting party was smiling, showing off his crooked and missing teeth.

A scout late in the night had come across the remains of another group late the night before, which had sparked a search lasting all through the night. Then, a little after the sun rose, they'd finally discovered two sets of tracks.

Since the hateful glowing ball had already risen by then, they had retreated to their caves.

But then Sadaauk, their Chief, had apparently lost his wits and ordered four whole hunting parties after them.

Those who complained were dragged off to the Pits, so his company of Warg Riders, along with three others, eventually set off. He was happy, at least, to have been given command of them all.

"Durgaz!" came a shout from beside him, and he turned to see his next-in-command, Lukhar. He was a Gundaband Orc, larger than most of his fellows, and carried a longbow, unusual for his race. He was also one of the best shots in the entirety of the Misty Mountains. "I think I got one of 'em!"

"Ya hear that, boys? Soon we'll be havin' a feast!" he shouted, and his party cheered.

Contrary to the exuberance of their Orc partners, his mount and several others gave small whines. All the four dozen Wargs they'd brought were getting more and more nervous as they got closer to their prey, but he simply attributed that to their closeness to the realm of the filthy Elves.

He turned to glance again at his hunting partner, opening his crooked mouth to say something.

But before he could, Lukhar's head snapped back as an arrow hit right between his eyes.

One moment, the Orc was grinning on his Warg, the next he was falling off of it.

Something flashed by, faster than he could see, and another of his Orcs died, an arrow punching through his armored chest.

It was only then that Durgaz felt a flicker of fear.

* * *

Fae loosed another arrow, her hands a blur as she reached her quiver, pulled out another arrow and released it.

Celebrían could scarcely believe it.

At first, when her companion had created the bow, she'd been worried that Fae might not be able to fire it on account of the arrow that was still stuck in her left shoulder. But that hadn't bothered her at all. Rather than taking the usual stance, pulling the bowstring back across her chest, she'd turned it so the bow was horizontal, firing that way instead.

How she managed to draw so fast was another story altogether.

That was the second time Celebrían had felt _that_ sort of energy. Not the magic of ice or fire, or even the magic that had created the bow.

No, this was _far_ beyond that.

This magic seemed to... tug at the edges of her _soul_.

"F-Fae," Celebrían stammered. "W-we should run to the forest, we'll be s-safe there."

Her companion shook her head. "Not a chance."

"B-but—"

"I'm finished running," Fae said, ignoring the growls and yells of hunting party which were now getting very close. "These bastards, for whatever reason, have been following us long after the magic of this place should have frightened them off. They're out in daylight, which you've told me makes them mightily uncomfortable. One of them nearly killed you, and if all of that wasn't enough, I bet they're part of the same group that attacked you last night."

She stiffened, but wouldn't let up. "E-even so—"

"Celebrían," Fae said softly, turning to face her. "If you run, I won't be able to protect you. And I am _not_ going to let anything hurt one of my friends and get away with it."

For a while, the silver-haired woman simply stood there, trying to think of something to say, even though she wasn't sure she could speak at the moment.

Then Fae gave her a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm not out of arrows yet."

And without another word, she turned and fired another shot, watching dispassionately as an Orc fell off his mount, missing most of his stomach.

"The... the Wargs, too," Celebrían said, her voice shaky. "The scent of blood usually enrages them. They'll keep coming after us unless you kill them too."

Fae nodded. That seemed reasonable. After all, it's hard to negotiate with something that wants to eat you.

Firing half a dozen more shots in the next three seconds, she watched with cool satisfaction as six Wargs went stumbling, brought low by arrows to the head. The group was speeding up, abandoning caution to try and get them before they were all killed. More and more were splitting off of the main party, trying to flank them. Those that did didn't make it very far, as she wasn't interested in hand-to-claw fighting in three different directions at once.

Of course, that meant that the main body had more time to approach. And she could only shoot so fast with the single Word she'd used.

' _Hang it all_ _,_ ' the red-head thought bitterly, firing again. ' _I'm getting sloppy.'_

Continuing to aim for the Wargs, as the Orcs wouldn't be able to run nearly as fast, one by one, she took all down.

A few Orcs managed not to be injured as their Wargs suddenly had an arrow lodged in them. Those that did, seeing how hopeless the situation was rapidly becoming, began to flee in the other direction, back towards the mountains.

Celebrían watched, stumped, as the hunting party was slowly killed off, until the last few began to slow down.

Even then, Fae didn't stop, firing again and again until there were no Wargs left alive. Once each had been killed, she started targeting the Orcs that remained. Even the ones that were injured, she finished off with an arrow to a vital area. Those that were fleeing, she hit from behind.

Until finally, in the face of odds Celebrían couldn't imagine a single person taking on, there were almost no enemies left.

Strung out into the distance, as far as the Lady of Rivendell could see, were a line of bodies, soaking the snow a vivid red like a morbid footpath.

Squinting, she could see a single Orc. He was nearly at the tree-line they'd been at before the entire encounter had even started, and was getting further away. Even with her elven eyes, she could barely see the tiny, fleeing figure.

Celebrían let out a breath in stunned relief. She had no idea how her escort managed one incredible feat after another, but she'd never felt so relieved in all her long years of life. They were only a few hundred steps from the first trees of Lothlórien, and from the protection of the elves.

She glanced at Fae.

The red-haired woman clutched the ethereal bow in her left hand, even though her quiver had faded into nothingness. Despite all the bodies laid out before her, she didn't look away from the lone remaining Orc, who was still fleeing into the distance.

Reaching up with a single hand, she grasped the arrow sticking out of her left shoulder. Before Celebrían could open her mouth, Fae ripped it out with a single motion.

"... ** _And where do you think you're going?_** " she said, blood flowing into her shirt, her voice deeper and more menacing.

Without pause, she fitted the arrow to the string and drew it back across her chest, farther than Celebrían even realized it _could_ stretch. She worried that the bow itself, despite being made from magic, of all things, might break under the strain.

The arrow itself began to lengthen, purple energy extending from the arrowhead, until finally Fae held a bow so large that the bottom edge nearly touched the ground, with an arrow to match.

Staring in shock at the massive weapon, Celebrían tried to come to terms with _how much strength_ it would take to even _draw_ a bow that large, let alone fire it!

Not looking like she even noticed the strain, Fae sighted up the tiny dot far into the distance, paused for a second, let out a breath—

 _And fired_.

* **CRACK** *

Flinching, Celebrían put her hands to her ears at the sudden, ear-splitting sound that emanated from Fae's bow. Even with her vision, which was unusually sharp for her kind, she couldn't even SEE the arrow that flashed into the distance.

The Orc was almost relieved to finally return to the dense grove, as he had no intention of fighting whatever demon they had been hunting.

He had barely a second to process the sudden crack of thunder from far behind him, before his head exploded.

And for a long while, nothing moved.

Celebrían could scarcely breath as she stared amazement at her friend's back.

Fae simply stood there, her bow fading away into nothingness. For a while, she simply looked into the distance, her teeth clenched.

As the silver-haired elf watched, she simply seemed to deflate, her shoulders slumping, her head bowed. Even the magic around her hands, like small storms, seemed subdued.

Celebrían reached for her companion's shoulder. "...Fae?"

And before she knew it, the red-haired woman looked over her shoulder and met her gaze.

Pinned in place by the sheer _weight_ of the look, Celebrían could barely breath as Fae looked at her. She could see _something_ in the woman's eyes, but before she could think about whatever emotion she'd just seen, Fae blinked.

Turning away after a second, she closed her eye and took a deep breath.

Slowly, as they both stood there, the aura that had surrounded Fae seemed to recede, as if she was drawing it back in on purpose, leaving Celebrían feeling uncommonly exhausted. The magic that had encircled her arms faded away with a few last wisps.

After a few moments, Fae opened her eye and took a long look at their surroundings, from the snow laden bushes to the mangled bodies that rested along their path.

"Well," she said. "That was fun."

Celebrían gawked, nearly speechless. "Fun, she says..."

Giving a soft, musical laugh, Fae spun around on one foot and grinned cheerily at the world around them. "Ha! You would think that I'd be tired of things like this after the life I've had, but no! I can't stop loving the adventure!"

Watching the red-haired woman, who a second ago had seemed so focused and intense, act like a happy child had Celebrían smiling in spite of herself. After a few moments, though, she began to feel lightheaded.

Fae had stepped forward to put an arm around her shoulders before she even realized her legs were giving out.

Emerald-sapphire eye twinkled merrily as she put an arm under Celebrían's knees and picked her up.

Glancing up at Fae, the elven woman simply groaned, trying to keep her eyes open. "We should really stop meeting like this."

Barking out a laugh, the warrior grinned down at her companion. "Go to sleep, Celebrían. You'll be home soon."

Giving a soft smile, she closed her eyes and nestled into Fae's shoulder. "I'm glad..." she mumbled, and finally drifted off to sleep.

Looking up at the tall trees before them, the red-haired mage squared her shoulders and started walking.

"...And now for the real challenge."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	8. Boundaries

**Chapter 8: Boundaries**

* * *

"Hm..."

Her boots crunched through the snow, leaving small imprints as she walked.

Taking a moment, Fae glanced around at her surroundings.

' _It's beautiful_ ,' she thought. And indeed it was.

Trees surrounded them both, stretching tall into the sky, covered in smooth grey bark and crowned with silver leaves.

Having so recently defeated a pack of what could generously be called 'Orcs', she had honestly expected any anxiety she was feeling to lessen. Instead, the opposite was happening.

Having become attuned to feeling the flow of magic from spending a lot of time in places like Sovngarde or the Soul Cairn, she'd become proficient in her sensing ability, able to tell when any area might have unusual plants or animals due to a sprinkle of magic.

This place was practically drowning in it.

From the snow on the ground to the leaves of the trees. It was _everywhere_.

And therein lay the cause of her current worry.

When she'd first crossed the border between the plain and the trees, she could sense that their was an invisible dome of magic surrounding the place, more widespread than almost any place she'd ever seen.

And it was trying to keep her out.

Thus, Fae thought with a smile, trekking farther and farther into the forest was an interesting experience.

Taking a momentary break, she knelt and glanced down at Celebrían, who was still in the midst of a fitful sleep.

' _Her skin is hot_ ," Fae thought, her worry about their surroundings giving way to concern.

On top of the fact that her connection to her magicka was currently much less powerful, the School of Restoration wasn't her speciality. Even so, curing a poison as basic as this one shouldn't have presented her any problems at all _._

' _There's something I'm missing,'_ she thought to herself.

Kneeling over Celebrían's prone form, Fae took a deep breath.

Showtime.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she said, not even bothering to look up.

For a few moments, there was absolute stillness in the forest. Not a branch that shook, not a leaf that fell, nothing but the sound of her own breathing.

Then, slowly, several figures detached themselves from the surroundings. She counted seven drawn bows in a single glance, all of them aimed at her.

"What is your business here, stranger?"

Glancing up at the one who seemed to be the leader, Fae, in response, raised an eyebrow.

"I walk into a forest that has done everything to make me feel unwelcome short of stabbing me in the spleen, I'm carrying Celebrían of Rivendell, daughter of your Lord and Lady, who also happens to have been wounded by a poisoned arrow, I'm probably the best chance you have of _saving her life_ , and the first thing you ask me is; _What is your business_?" Standing up, Fae sniffed in irritation. "Out of my way, elfling. I have no time to deal with you."

And before any member of the group could retort - or scrape their jaws off the ground - Fae picked up her companion and shouldered her way past the leader, heading deeper into the forest.

It was a while before any of them moved.

While the pointy-eared brats were paralyzed with shock, the red-haired woman simply kept walking.

"N-now wait just a minute!" the group leader sputtered, trying to catch up with her. "You cannot simply _enter_ our forest on a whim!"

Not bothering to pause, she simply glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. "A whim, huh? Need I remind you who I'm carrying here?"

The rest of the elves, most of whom were jogging along, glanced back and forth between the tall, implacable woman and their increasingly flustered commander, unsure of how to react.

It was rare enough that Men dared to venture into Lothlórien, especially in recent years.

Not a member of the patrol, however, could remember any single member of that race that was quite so... disputatious.

"E-even so, before you go any further, you must wear a blindfold, to protect our secrets!"

"Given that I already know where your "secret" city is, I don't think blindfolding me will do much good."

...There wasn't much for him to say after that.

Fae simply continued to walk along, almost leisurely, ignoring the rather dazed group following behind.

Still, despite her bearing, she wasn't feeling very calm.

Celebrían's condition was starting to worsen. The fever had gone down, which at first she took as a good sign, until the elven woman started to get cold.

Really, really cold.

So, without further ado, she broke into a run. The elves, confused though they were, quickly got their wits about them again and followed.

The wind whipped Fae's hair about as she continued to charge through the trees, no longer playing around.

Minutes later, after leaving several patrolling guards in her wake, she crested the top of a large hill and stopped, the group from before catching up a few seconds later.

Seeing what the woman was staring down at, one of the elves - who was breathing less heavily than the rest - nervously stepped up next to her.

"That is Caras Galadhon," she said, quailing only a tiny bit at the woman's stern look. "The city of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Most who enter this forest do not make it this far."

Fae eyed the nervous brunette for second and turned to look at the rest of the group. "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up."

...This time it took almost half a minute before any of them could pick their jaws of the ground.

By then, Fae had already slid to the bottom of the hill and was running straight for the center of the forest.

"Faster, faster, faster," she muttered, pouring on still more speed, until she was practically flying through the trees.

Then, she happened to glance up.

Their were _houses_ in the trees. Interesting... and familiar.

As she traveled farther and farther into the forest, the houses became more intricate and densely packed, until finally she arrived at the base of a particularly vast tree. A intricate wooden staircase spiraled up from the ground, intertwined with the trunk.

With barely a second's pause, she began sprinting up the stairs, heedless of the many elves who were following. Most of the ones she had passed had taken exception to her intrusion into their realm.

The constant feeling she had been getting, which she now realized must be a _person_ rather than a simple ward, was stronger and, dare she say it, angrier than ever.

Whoever was controlling the magical barrier around the forest was not-at-all pleased that she was here.

Finally arriving at the top, Fae burst from the staircase into some kind of get-together. Various important-looking elves were walking about, making idle conversation.

She could tell that one in particular, dressed in elegant but simple clothing, was much more powerful than the rest. As he turned and saw who she was carrying, his eyes widened. "Celebrían!"

"Talk later, move now," Fae said brusquely. "I need some place to work."

To his credit, he took in the state of the elf in Fae's arms and snapped out of his stupor remarkably quickly. "This way."

He led her down a path towards one of the tree-houses, where a small room awaited.

' _Well-stocked,'_ she thought, critiquing the equipment of the room in a single glance. Different kinds of herbs and baskets full of clean linen were only a few of the supplies stored there.

Laying the woman in her arms down on a table, Fae didn't even spare a glance at the elf who'd shown her the way.

"You shouldn't stay for this part," she said, taking note of Celebrían's pulse, which was slower than usual.

A sudden flash of barely concealed anger she could sense from the elf only made her pause for a moment.

"I would prefer to stay, _until I can be sure my daughter is safe_."

She glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "That's what I'm trying to make sure of, but I can hardly focus on my work with you hovering around like an grouchy bat. And unless you want a horde of angry elves storming this room, I'd suggest you go and explain the situation before anyone pulls out a weapon."

The elf lord didn't move for a while. "...And why should I not simply call in elvish healers and have you executed for entering our forest without permission?"

Fae gave an un-ladylike snort. "Aside from the fact that I'd break their legs and throw them at you? Because the daughter that you seem _so_ concerned about is currently battling a particularly virulent poison. One that is spreading, and spreading fast. One that I can cure."

"And why should I trust you?"

...When she spoke again, her tone was cold and without sympathy. "Because she'll die if you don't."

Woodenly, Lord Celeborn turned and opened the door.

On his way out, Fae yelled after him. "And tell whoever is trying to force their way into my mind to knock it off! It's distracting!"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	9. First Step

**Chapter 9: First Step**

* * *

 _'Why do some people always insist on butting in?'_

High in the trees in the heart of the wood, one irritated red-head couldn't help but wonder.

The one elf that actually seemed nice was currently laying down in the center of the room.

"Is it me? Do I not have a trustworthy face?"

"Whoever you are, you will open this door! RIGHT NOW!"

"Ah, shut up!" she snapped. "You all can stay out there. I'm doing well enough without all of you crowding this place!"

The wound on Celebrían's thigh that she had healed the previous night had closed successfully, but to Fae's consternation, the area was becoming a frightening shade of dark purple.

' _F_ _ragments from the arrow,'_ she thought, soft trickles of golden light spilling from her hands into Celebrían's leg. The orcs that they had encountered had truly abominable weapons, made of crudely beaten iron, some even being sharpened stone. It wasn't inconceivable to think that tiny chunks may have broken off when the arrow hit bone.

Whatever poison that was still in her body was spreading, evidenced by the way the veins near the wound were starting to turn black. And to make matters worse, with every little movement, Celebrían gasped, as if even the touch of the polished table was causing her pain.

' _It's been a while since I've met a potion that inflames the nerves. Where did they get it, I wonder?_ '

A poison like that was not one that you could simply stumble on. Fae had explored quite a bit of Tamriel in her time, and it was a truly rare day when she encountered a plant or animal that had a toxin with the same effects.

Ah. Only one thing left to do then.

Keeping her right hand on Celebrían's leg, Fae gathered magic of a different sort into her left, ending up with a glowing purple dagger. Without hesitation, she drew it across the wound, opening up a long cut.

The elven woman thrashed around with a pained yell while the crimson-haired woman held her down, having dispelled the conjured weapon.

"Easy, girl," she said softly. "I know it hurts, but I'll be done soon. Just hold on."

Putting a hand to the bleeding wound while her other held the whimpering woman still, Fae reached into the wellspring of magical energy she had accumulated over the years, forcing it to obey her will.

A dark liquid began to seep out of the cut, gathered by the magic she was using, until there was barely any left.

Then, Fae's magic took on a different color and purpose, using her skill as both a magician and a potion-maker to seek out and purge the last vestiges of it. Then she felt for the small fragments of the arrowhead that still remained.

' _Iron... I can work with that.'_

The Transmute spell was one of the first of the Alteration tree she'd ever learned. Though this time, transforming the metal into gold was a bad idea.

Instead, using her years of experience in influencing her own magic away from the standard, she transformed every single fragment, as well as any minuscule amount of poison left, into water.

In higher quantities, water in the bloodstream could damage the body, but the amount Fae had turned would barely amount to a drop. Eventually it would just re-circulate throughout Celebrían's body. And since she had no idea how any anti-poisons or healing potions she'd made in _her_ world would affect the elf, she simply decided to play it safe.

She knew, at least, that the elves here did drink water.

With the rest of the poison gone, Fae raised her hands and charged a healing spell in both hands. Celebrían's wound was looking less better, but the damage was still visible. Shunting extra power into her spell, she pressed her hands to Celebrían's thigh.

Slowly, the injury disappeared, leaving smooth, unmarked skin in its wake.

"Ha! And Fae triumphs again!" the red-head crowed, grinning wildly.

Then she happened to remember where exactly her hands were touching, and flinched away. It would be just her luck for the silver-haired elf to wake up with Fae's hands still on her upper thigh.

' _I'd like to think I'm not so presumptuous,'_ she thought.

Then, whatever fledgling excitement and happiness that had been forming in Fae's heart dimmed as she remembered exactly where she was, and who was still banging on the door.

So without further ado, she melted the small bar of ice she'd been using to bolt the door shut.

Coincidentally, several elves on the other side had been banging into the door with their shoulders, trying to force it open. And is just so happened to be at the moment several of them charged at once, she removed her makeshift lock.

Fae put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at the bunch of normally-agile elves who were sprawled on the ground in a groaning pile.

"No need to fall over yourselves. I'm not _that_ pretty."

Lord Celeborn, who had been waiting for his subordinates to break through the door, raised a lofty eyebrow as he considered the woman before him.

She was tall, he realized. Perhaps even as tall as his wife, with auburn hair that fell to her shoulders. One twinkling green eye held his gaze, while the other was covered by a strip of black cloth. The most eye-catching thing about her clothes was the large blood-stain on the left side of her tunic.

He narrowed his eyes by a fraction. This woman would start answering questions _very_ soon.

"I see you didn't follow my advice," she said, distracting him from his thoughts. Whoever was still prodding her mental shields was getting more curious by the minute. To be honest, it was kinda cute.

"...Follow me," he said imperiously, turning around with a swish of his robes.

Fae had to hold in a smile. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

Slipping a hand under Celebrían's knees and another around her shoulders, she gently picked up the sleeping woman and followed the lord out.

Several of the surrounding elves nearly protested when she did so, but couldn't seem to think of anything to say. Instead, in what was becoming the recurring theme of the day, they simply followed along.

Since no one was talking, it gave Fae time to admire the scenery.

The Mallorn trees were tall enough that the ground was a fair distance away when she looked down. They were also, without fail, completely rigid, which probably helped when they were building all of the tree-houses. Glowing lights hung all around, slowly turning from gold to silver as the daylight vanished. Exquisitely carved wooden arches and stairs wove their way around the canopy, looking less like a child's project and more like a civilization's capitol.

And if Fae was perfectly honest with herself, she was quite impressed.

Finally coming to the top of a long staircase that wrapped around the tallest tree around, she continued following the elvish lord. And as she got closer, a small shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.

Someone with a quite a lot of magical power was dwelling around here.

Celeborn came to a stop at the foot of a wide staircase and turned around, finally noticing who she was carrying.

"What are you doing?" he asked, frowning.

She glanced at him confusedly. "You asked me to follow you."

"Then why are you still carrying my daughter?"

"I need to make sure that she recovers, and I wasn't going to leave her behind."

He opened his mouth to say something, but was swiftly interrupted.

"Enough, husband. Introduce our guest."

Both of them looked up, and Fae's jaw dropped.

' _Well... at least now I know where Celebrían gets her looks from._ '

The woman striding down the stairs was almost beyond description. Tall, dressed in a gown of the purest white. Flowing golden hair, wreathed with a circlet of the same silvery metal as the one crowning her daughter. Frosty blue eyes that stared at Fae as if she were a bug for this woman's consideration.

Without waiting for her husband to answer, Lady Galadriel continued walking down the stairs. "It has been a long time since we have had visitors to our realm, far longer since they have dared to enter without our permission. The last one did not enjoy his time with us at all."

Fae raised an eyebrow and responded without hesitation. "I'm sure it's also been a long time since you've met any 'intruder' with the same circumstances as me."

Celeborn and several elves who had followed behind them narrowed their eyes at the not-quite-respectful tone.

Galadriel, on the other hand, didn't even blink, simply stopped a few stairs above where the red-haired woman was standing. "It is against our laws to violate our borders. You have given us great insult by doing so."

"...Just as you have given _me_ insult by assuming that my life is yours do to with as you wish," Fae replied, no longer feeling quite so amused.

Spotting a few elves in the background setting up a table, the heroine of Tamriel turned away and walked over, gently setting Celebrían down on it.

If the Lady of Lorien was insulted by the casual dismissal, she didn't show it. Every other elf present, however, was a different story.

One, the captain of the original patrol Fae had encountered, stepped forward a little, his hand itching to go for a weapon. "You dare..." Several elves seemed like they wanted to follow his example.

Before any of them could move, Celeborn held up a hand. "Peace. There will be no fighting while my daughter is present."

Most stepped back, suitably chastened. The leader, however, didn't back down. "But my Lord, she could an enemy! How do we know it was not this woman who injured Lady Celebrían in the first place?"

"We are about to find out," Galadriel said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Every eye in the place turned to where Celebrían was laying. As the elf started to stir, Fae reached over and poked her in the forehead. "Wakey wakey." And before anyone could give cries of outrage, the silver-haired woman did just that.

Blearily opening her eyes, the first thing to swim into focus was Fae's smiling face. "Morning, sleepyhead. Have a nice nap?"

An ear-splitting screech of "FAE!" followed a moment later as Celebrían fully awoke and promptly pounced on the woman with a huge hug.

"By-the-Valar-do-you-have-any-idea-how-worried-I-was-and-don't-ever-do-that-again-and-oh-it's-so-good-to-see-you!" the elf babbled as she squeezed the taller woman with all the strength in her lithe body.

Blinking a few times as she struggled to process that, Fae patted the smaller woman on the back a few times. "It's, ah, good to see you too. And not to change the subject or anything, but there are a few people who I think you'll want to see."

Stepping back in preparation to berate the woman again, Celebrían was halted in her thoughts by a lofty voice.

"Little one..."

Turning around and beholding her mother and father, she barely paused for a moment before she rushed around the table and ran to meet them.

Leaping and throwing an arm around both her parents, the elven woman felt such a astonishing surge of relief that tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

"I sensed something was wrong once the sun fell," Galadriel whispered into her ear. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"That you are unharmed gladdens me as well, my daughter," Celeborn said a bit louder.

Giving them both a squeeze, Celebrían stepped back a little and gave a weak smile. "We were set upon by Orcs in the dead of night. They killed my escort and dragged me away, and were it not for this woman, I may not be speaking to you now."

A stir ran through the crowd at her story.

Several mutters of "Beasts..." and "Savages..." were heard and did not go unnoticed by the red-haired woman.

Looking around at the platform they stood on, Fae finally noticed something that had been subconsciously bothering her for a while.

"There is a criminal lack of guardrails around here, you know?"

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews. They've helped a lot in getting through this funk I was in.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and see ya later!**


	10. Confrontation

**Chapter 10: Confrontation**

* * *

Fae stared at the snow-covered ground, a long way down from where she was standing. A cold wind blew through her hair, making her lungs feel crisp whenever she inhaled.

"I mean honestly. What do you do if there are kids around here? Hope for the best?"

The very edge of the platform they were on was nearly touching the crown of the Mallorn, and there was at least a few dozen meters between it and the ground.

Most of the elves she'd met so far were quite fleet of foot, evidenced by the fact that Celebrían was able to keep up with her despite a rather serious injury.

But she doubted that they could survive a fall like this.

"So..." she said, crossing her arms. "What now?"

"...Fae?" Celebrían asked, standing only a few paces behind her and looking the tiniest bit alarmed at how close to the edge she was standing.

The elven lady would later tell anyone who asked that she most certainly did _not_ flinch when the red-head spun around so suddenly her foot screeched on the wood.

Fae, however, simply stared up at Galadriel, a strange half-smile on her face. "I'm simply waiting for your mom to make up her mind, sweetie. Or rather, waiting for her to stop attacking _my_ mind."

As Celebrían's head swiveled to stare at her mother in shock, Galadriel met Fae's gaze without blinking. "...Every stranger to enter our forest would receive the same treatment."

"As a security measure, I completely understand," she replied, holding her hands behind her back. "It is one of the less brutal methods for keeping your forest safe. But, in my case, it has long since gotten past the point of being cute."

"Your heart and mind are clouded from my sight. The only such defenses I have ever encountered were within the servants of the Enemy," the elven Lady said, her piercing eyes narrowed.

Whatever tension that had been quelled by Celebrían's awakening roared back in force, as nearly every elf present stiffened in anger, wariness or outright fear. Several swords slipped out of sheaths, their owners prepared for anything. Celeborn moved to stand with his wife, no longer content to sit on the sidelines.

Their daughter, on the other hand, moved to stand in front of Fae, her face set in a determined glare. "I do not believe that, mother."

"But do you not find it odd, Celebrían?" she asked, her gaze softening as she looked at her only child. "That as soon as you are waylaid and captured, this woman miraculously finds and rescues you?"

"She killed nearly a hundred Orcs on our way here!" the silver-haired woman protested. Galadriel shook her head.

"It would not be the first time _he_ sacrificed his soldiers to accomplish a greater objective."

"But—" Whatever she was about to say was interrupted as Fae put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Celebrían," she said with a smile. "I can fight my own battles. I'm sure your mother isn't _trying_ to be insulting. It's been a long time since anyone has tried that. I'm actually more impressed than anything."

Her single eye flicked over Galadriel, flickering with an inner radiance.

"But you are stepping close to the line, here, _my Lady._ Cross it at your own peril."

As the elves watched the two with bated breath, the leaves of the Mallorn around them began to shift, blowing in an unseen wind. The ruler of Lothlórien drew herself up, her entire form beginning to shine. Light and power began to concentrate around her right hand.

Very few times in her life had Celebrían been able to witness the power her mother wielded. Even when young, the daughter of Finarfin had surpassed many of her race in power.

And that was before she received her greatest gift.

Nenya. One of the Three Rings of the Elves, the most powerful of Celebrimbor's creations, only inferior to _one_ other ring.

The amount of power gathered in her hand was not nearly the limit of what she was capable of, but it was still great enough that it made her entire arm glow with ethereal light.

"Mother, no," Celebrían whispered as several elves gently dragged her away from the two. Her silvery eyes shone with despair.

Galadriel, on the other hand, had eyes only for Fae.

"...So you really want to do this, hm?" the red-haired woman muttered, crossing her arms.

"I cannot trust someone who guards their heart so," the elf replied, before her gaze softened. "But I also would not be able to live with myself if I simply killed the person who saved my daughter's life. So I will give you a choice." She stepped down from the stairs and walked forward, until she was only a few meters away from Fae. Her sharp eyes were briefly filled with regret, before the steely mask replaced itself.

"Leave this forest and do not come back. Do not go to any other elven settlement and do not allow any elf to see your face again. Do this and you will not be harmed."

"No," Fae replied without hesitation. "No, I don't think I will. I have seen quite a few amazing places in my life and this city ranks highly among them. I want to experience what this world has to offer, from the greatest mountains to the darkest caverns. And to be perfectly blunt..."

She crossed her arms, an unnatural glow emanating from her emerald-sapphire eye.

"I like it here. I think I'll stay."

There was no sound in the forest of Lothlórien at that moment. No wind, no snow, no sound, no breath. It was like the whole world was waiting to see what would happen next.

"...So be it."

There was no fanfare. No warning.

Galadriel raised her arm, palm facing the red-haired woman, light shining from her Ring.

"NO!" Celebrían screamed, barely held back by her father and several other elves.

Energy shot from Galadriel's hand, nearly blinding everyone who looked at it. It hit Fae's head almost instantly, the blast shaking the Mallorn itself as an enormous cloud of smoke filled the area.

There was silence for a while.

Celebrían, no longer being held, fell to her knees, her tears reflecting the moonlight. "No..."

Though no one would ever know it, Galadriel felt her heart break a little at seeing her daughter in such pain. She closed her eyes and turned away, walking back up the stairs.

Celeborn stepped closer to his wife, reaching towards her shoulder. "Darling—"

" _Do **NOT** —_" she hissed, barely managing to keep a bitter curse from leaving her lips. "Do not... disturb me, husband. Just... see to the remains."

The elven lord simply stood there for a moment, arm outstretched. The silence stretched on for a few moments, as a small chuckle reached their sensitive ears.

"My liege..." an elf whispered from behind them.

The Lord and Lady of Lothlórien looked up, followed shortly by every elf there, and stared into the center of the thinning smoke.

Where Fae sat, laughing quietly. One knee was drawn up to her chest as she rubbed her forehead, where a blackened mark showed under the cloth she wore, that was oddly undamaged by the blast.

She glanced up, her eye _spearing_ into Galadriel's, sending a cold shiver running down her spine.

"Well? Is that all you've got?"

* * *

 **A/N: My thanks for the many awesome reviews. They soothe my fragile ego.**


	11. Calm

**Chapter 11: Calm**

* * *

For a long time, no one moved.

"Ha. I guess I was getting excited for nothing after all," Fae said, standing up and brushing some dirt off of herself.

The silence crept on.

"I mean, I must admit that I was interested in how your guys's magic would affect mine, but that was a bit of a let-down."

And still more silence.

"Of course, I _am_ aware that you all can do better than that. Galadriel can, at least."

And _still,_ no one talked. Her head swiveled a little bit, staring at all the slack-jawed elves.

"Oh, for fucks sake!" she growled, putting her hands on her hips. "The hell is the matter with you lot? What, is it because I didn't roll over and expire when you wanted me to?"

A quiet, hesitant voice came from her left. "F-Fae..."

Her gaze softened as she turned to look at Celebrían, who was still kneeling on the polished wood, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Slowly, Fae opened her arms.

Without hesitation, the silver-eyed woman leapt up and rushed into her embrace, clinging to the front of Fae's shirt as she tried to stifle her sobs. "Y-you were.. I-I thought you were..."

Squeezing just a bit tighter, she smiled into the woman's soft, silvery hair. "Sorry for making you worry."

That set off a fresh wave of tears, soaking into her tunic.

Keeping a hold of the woman for a while longer, Fae's eye flickered over to look at the Lady of Lothlórien. "...Well? What do you think?" she said softly. "Does this need to go any further?"

Galadriel didn't move for a little while, her head spinning.

Though she had long been known for her gift of foresight, this was not a situation she had ever experienced in her long life. And given that she had not received the Gift of Men, that was saying something.

Whatever slivers of the future she could glean without her mirror were useless. She could see no solution, hear no guidance.

But there was one thing she could see that was startlingly clear.

This woman... would be _delighted_ to defy every power in the world... _and beyond_... if that was what it took to keep those she loved safe...

The barest hint of a smile made its way to her lips. ' _How interesting._ '

The elves around Galadriel were not sure what to do. Some even began to draw their swords, fear plain on their faces.

"My lady, what do we do?" one of them whispered to her, trying to hide his quivering hands.

She was silent, still looking at the woman her daughter was clinging to.

"Lady Galadriel, we cannot let such a threat stand!"

More elves began to draw their swords. Celeborn stared up at his wife, a question in his eyes.

"What shall we do?"

Fae gently stepped around Celebrían and dropped her arms to her sides, staring flintily at blades pointed her way.

Everyone became still as Galadriel took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

"Enough."

For a few seconds, every eye in the forest was on her.

The red-haired woman simply raised an eyebrow, leveling a challenging gaze.

"Put your weapons away. Everyone."

And again, jaws went slack as they all stared at her.

Fae nodded, crossing her arms and grinning. "Good choice."

" _Galadriel!_ " Celeborn hissed. "What do you think you're doing!?"

She waved a hand, dismissing his question as if it were a gentle breeze. "Prepare a room for our guest. She may stay here for now."

Every elf on the platform could hardly believe what they were hearing.

One stepped forward, confusion etched into his face. "B-but, my lady..."

"No servant of the Enemy would endure such harm and still be willing to hold back their blades against us, let alone converse in a civilized manner," Galadriel said, brushing a lock of hair back into place. She glanced at Fae, an amused look on her face. "Well... _mostly_ civilized."

Barely anyone noticed the red-haired woman's grin, which grew just a little larger. "Well, I'm glad that was resolved in a way that everyone's happy."

"Mother..." Celebrían whispered, the back of Fae's shirt bunched in her fingers.

Giving her daughter a brief smile, she turned and walked up the stairs, vanishing into her room. "See to it, husband."

...There wasn't much speaking after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I must say, this isn't bad," Fae said to herself, hands on her hips.

The room she'd been escorted to was quite expansive. A queen-sized mattress sat upon an expansive bed, an intricately carved headboard at the top. A wardrobe sat in a corner next to a large glass window, while an actual, giant, _bathtub_ full of steaming water was in a closed-off section of the room.

Stepping past all the bedroom appliances, she opened the door to the balcony, faced with an incredible view of the forest.. Snow glittered on the branches of the Mallorn, glowing bright silver in the moonlight. She admired the sight of the forest realm for quite a while longer, loving the way the tree-houses were sparkling with light, giving the whole city an ethereal glow.

The red-head smiled. " _Through rain or snow or silver shine, with hearts inside a gilded spine, each leaf and branch a clever sign, of something old and half divine._ "

A soft, hesitant voice sounded from behind her. "...Fae?"

After a few seconds of leaning on the railing, she took a deep breath of the cold air.

"Just making things up, Celebrían. Nothing to worry about."

"...Are you alright?" At Fae's questioning look, she hurried to explain. "I mean, you just seem... more thoughtful."

"Thoughtful? Me? The very idea."

Laughing quietly, she fell into silence again, and they both stayed that way for quite a while.

Eventually, Fae straightened up and threw her arms back, stretching with a yawn. "I ought to change out of these clothes. Don't wanna get your nice sheets all dirty."

Glancing down at said clothes, the elven woman nodded shyly. "...I'm sorry."

"...For what? It can hardly be your fault."

"Are you sure? I mean, if you hadn't rescued me—"

"Celebrían," Fae said gently. "If you actually think, after everything you went through, that my clothes being dirty is something worth apologizing for, I may have to punch you."

She made to protest. "But—"

"I'm serious. Believe me, my shirt being dirty is not such a big deal. It's not like I can't clean it up later! And besides, you're worth more than any amount of clothes."

"...Thank you, Fae," she whispered.

Despite what any of the other elves in the forest may have believed, this woman was _very_ different from any Men that they had ever encountered. She'd personally witnessed the magic Fae wielded and the strength she possessed.

And yet, even when she well within arms reach of a woman who was more dangerous than any creature she'd ever encountered, Celebrían felt completely at ease.

Better than that, she felt _happy_! The silver-haired elf looked at her friend, saw the sheer amount of sincerity and caring reflected in that many-hued eye, and simply melted.

"Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. I'm tired and filthy."

She glanced down at Celebrían's dress, and a sudden wicked grin sent shivers up her spine.

"Bath time!"

* * *

 **A/N: More to come soon.** **And in case your worried, the confrontation with Galadriel isn't over. That comes next chapter** **.**

 **Credit to the poem in this goes to me, since I just threw it together. What's a LOTR fanfic without poetry?**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	12. Conflict

**Chapter 12: Conflict**

* * *

"To be honest, when a woman normally yells at me to get naked, they're less pissed off. Normally."

"Shush, you!" Celebrían said, crossing her arms with a scowl. "I just need you to get undressed and into the tub so you can wash off."

"Oooh, so you're just worried about cleanliness? My mistake," Fae muttered. A second later, she was ducking the pillow that was flung at her head. "Now you're just pouting."

The silver-haired elf sucked in her lower lip, throwing more pillows. Why did everything this woman say have to make her flush like a hundred-year old maiden?

"How do you still have so many of these!?"

"Just take your clothes off!" the elf shrieked.

"Fine, fine."

And without even waiting for her to turn her back, she pulled her bloodied shirt over her head.

Celebrían covered her eyes and spun around, her cheeks glowing red. "What are you doing!?"

Fae paused, her thumbs in the waistband of her underthings. "Taking my clothes off. Did you change your mind?"

"Yes— no! I mean..." Even without seeing it, she knew the red-head's eyebrow had raised. "... Just finish."

Listening as the last of the clothes dropped to the ground and she moved over to the bath, Celebrían finally turned around once the splashing had stopped. Fae's hair was draped over the edge of the bath as she relaxed into the steaming water, the glimmering liquid obscuring everything below her collarbone. To her befuddlement, the band of black cloth that sat over her eye was still there.

"Are you gonna stand there all night? Or do you want to go to sleep? It's been a long day, after all." Fae asked.

"...No. I want to hear a story."

"Really? What about?"

Celebrían slowly walked forward, finally sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"We've only been together for two days. I've already told you much about my land, so now I want to hear about yours. I want to hear about you. Like your name. What does it mean?"

The pondering stare she recieved made Celebrían want to avert her eyes, but she held firm. She would have answers from this woman, even if it took a thousand years.

"...You first," Fae replied, startling the elf, who wasn't sure what to expect with such a question.

But she steeled herself nonetheless. "In Sindarin, my name means 'silver queen'."

Fae raised an eyebrow, taking a quick glance at the bright strands of her hair that reflected the moonlight and the jewel-studded circlet upon her brow.

"...How original," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that!?"

"Oh, nothing," Fae said. She raised a hand to ward off any further complaint. "Do you want me to tell you about my name, or not?"

Celebrían crossed her arms and nodded stiffly.

"Well, Fae doesn't mean anything in particular," the red-head stated. "I asked my mother about it when I was three; she mentioned something about the sound produced by mating cows."

...Seeing Celebrían's expression had the woman laughing for quite a while.

"Are- are you serious!?"

Still giggling, Fae waved a hand airily. "Oh, don't be so surprised. My people weren't generally inclined to being overly complicated. Nords are direct like that."

She perked up, ignoring the rest of the conversation for the moment. "Nords?"

"Descendants of the people who sailed across the sea from Atmora and landed on the continent of Tamriel, eventually settling most of it and butting heads with the humans and elves who already lived there. But, my ancestors were a precocious bunch, if nothing else and each race that descended from them have influenced the continent in various ways."

"...Elves?"

Fae smirked. ' _Figures that Celebrían would focus on that.'_

"Mer. That's what humans referred to them as. And as with humans, many different elvish races descended from the original common ancestor, the Aldmer. The history between them and humans was always uneasy at best and downright bloody at worst." Seeing the silver-haired woman open her mouth, she raised a hand. "I'd honestly love to talk about the history of my world, but we might be here all day and I'm already starting to prune."

"Can you tell me one more story?" Celebrían asked in a rush. "Just one more?"

Fae glanced over at her with a smile, her eye sparkling with merriment. "Greedy little minx."

Giving a small chuckle at the elven woman's sputtering, she finally nodded. "I admit, I was quite curious about this land and its inhabitants, particularly the one to the west, across the sea. So, since you were kind enough to indulge my curiosity, I'll return the favor." She wagged a finger. "But this is the last one for tonight!"

Seeing her newest friend incline her head hurriedly, Fae closed her eye and took a deep breath. "Let me tell you a tale of someone I met long ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday."

"When I was younger, there was a time when I retreated from the world. I had seen many things up until that point, and wanted - **needed** \- to be alone. So I ventured into the wild, away from civilization. I made a home on top of the steepest mountain I could find, in a dark cavern where nothing lived. Many climbed the mountain to find me, for one cause or another. Some came for revenge. Others, for aid. None who entered ever walked out. But then, one day, an old man arrived. He climbed the mountain and sat at the entrance to my cave. "

Celebrían had leaned forward, hardly blinking. She, like many of her race, was utterly fascinated by stories and legends. And given that she was the first in her whole _world_ to hear this one, she barely moved a muscle for fear of interrupting.

Fae smiled at the sight of her enraptured friend and paused for a second to watch her squirm. When Celebrían was nearly vibrating from agitation, she took mercy on her and began again.

"For three days and three nights the old man sat there. He did not speak, slept upright and ate only snow. Then, on the dawn of the fourth morning, he stood up and shouted into the darkness. 'I am the Master of the Order of the Four Mornings! For many days I have marched, for many nights I have climbed! I ask to speak to the keeper of the cave! Your wisdom is known to many and I ask for your guidance!'

At this point, the elven woman was absolutely enthralled. Fae dipped her hand into the water and watched it drip from her slender fingers, a smile pulling at her lips.

"...I admit, after so long alone, his offer intrigued me. I had learned many secrets of magic in my isolation and so decided to put on a show. The old man stood there for hours yet. Then, when the sun had set, I responded. I appeared to him with a great clap of thunder, taking the form of a fearsome dragon. I roared once, showing all the might that I possessed, then looked down at him, and, with a voice like a earthquake, asked him what he desired."

"What did he ask for?" Celebrían breathed.

Fae snorted. "He didn't ask for anything. Poor lad had dropped dead of a heart attack."

...

"...Is that it?"

"Oh, there was something about an ancient evil that had popped up again and a war that would shake the foundations of all the land, but that part was rather standard at the time."

Celebrían narrowed her eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Nothing I've told you is a lie, if that's what you're asking." When she didn't look convinced, Fae's smile faltered a little and she pulled herself out of the bath.

The elven woman immediately shut her eyes. The small glimpse of flawless skin had her blushing down to the roots of her hair.

There was the sound of rustling. And then she could feel soft fingers under her chin. Celebrían's head tilted back and she opened her eyes, to see Fae smiling.

"I've been alive for longer than you might think, sweetie. And in all that time, I have lied once. Only once. And believe me when I say, that I for damn sure don't ever want to lie to you."

A small part of the elven woman's mind wondered at what exactly Fae meant, but was promptly stampeded over by the parts choked with emotion.

The elf smiled back, her eyes shining with the brilliance of stars. "...I believe you."

"Good! Anyway, it's getting late. You should go to bed."

"Um, ah, okay."

"...Problem?"

"A-aha, well, funny story..."

"...I assume there's something you want to tell me?"

"W-well, since we arrived early and my people hadn't anticipated that we would and the lack of available rooms, we'll have to... share."

Fae blinked a few times, then walked around to look into Celebrían's eyes. "Be honest, sweetie. Are you alright with that? It wouldn't be the first time I've had to find my own bed."

She looked scandalized."You are a guest of the elves of Lothlórien! I will not throw you out into the cold to freeze!"

"...Well, your sympathy gladdens my heart, I'm sure," she snarked, and promptly ducked another pillow.

Minutes later, once the upholstery was exhausted, Celebrían was fast asleep.

It wasn't really that surprising, Fae thought with a smile. Having known the elf wasn't used to any sort of fighting the moment she'd first laid eyes on her, she knew Celebrían would be more tired than normal for a while longer.

And to be honest, she was a little surprised at how easily sleep had come to the elf. Her family had obviously wanted to keep her out of harms way, even at the expense of training her to defend herself. The elf was not used to hardship.

...But Fae was nothing if not observant and her eye for people had not gone blind. Celebrían had at least _some_ steel in her.

"Rest easy, silver queen. You are safe at home, with a family that loves you," she murmured softly, pulling up the covers over her friend's shoulder. "...But my night is not over yet."

XXXXXXX

Galadriel could not sleep, so nervous was she.

No matter how much water she poured into her mirror, no matter how she used the arts taught to her by Melian and Yavanna, she could see _nothing._ It was driving her mad. _Questions_ burned in her mind, as they had been all day and the night before. And as loath as she was to even think it, the questions did not concern the wellbeing of her daughter.

Because at the moment, there was something dwelling in the forest - _in her daughter's room! -_ that was _far_ more concerning.

This woman who called herself... _Fae_.

Galadriel shivered.

Not since she had first laid eyes on the Lord of Gifts himself, more than four and a half thousand years ago, had she felt like this.

The Greatest of Liars had wrapped himself in a kingly image, so that the elves, known lovers of beauty, would be more inclined to be welcoming. But more than that, it was the _aura_ he projected, one of usefulness, of candor, of _trust_.

The moment that woman had stepped through her barrier as if it were naught but a breeze, she had felt it again.

Only worse. Because this time, it wasn't _Fae_ who was doing it!

The rage she had felt the moment that woman had entered her forest had been almost all-consuming, which even now she could not explain.

But as that damned woman had gotten closer and closer, the rage drained away like water in a sieve, replaced by some emotion that she _did not understand_.

Galadriel had learned long ago to sense the aura and even, in rare cases, the _intentions_ of people she met.

And once they'd actually stood face to face—

It had taken every bit of restraint she possessed not to simply melt. This woman's aura put the Dark Lord himself to shame.

Happiness, comfort and kindness shone from Fae's soul, brighter than the sun. There was no subtle urging to trust, rather, her aura seemed intent on merriment for its own sake.

No matter how Galadriel hardened her heart and tried to remind herself of the _last_ being who had managed to make her feel similar to this, that brightness still managed to worm its way through.

It had taken nearly everything she had to will herself to attack the woman, and could barely scrounge up a tenth of her magic to do so.

And that brought her back to the _whole reason_ why she was so desperately searching for answers.

Because in that moment, when she'd unleashed her attack and watched magic wash over the woman, _all that brightness_ had disappeared. It was why she had turned away, not only because she had hurt her only daughter, but because she was ashamed of _herself_.

But then she had heard that _laugh._ And just for a second, she saw why Fae's soul had shone with such brilliance.

The elven lady clenched her fists at the memory, shivering. Galadriel had no idea how long Fae would remain, but she would try her hardest to stay _away_ from the woman.

...And she was so caught up with her own thoughts, that she barely noticed a familiar chill go down her spine.

A warm wind drifted through her clearing and a cheerful voice whispered right into her ear.

"So this is where you wandered off to?"

Galadriel stilled, hardly daring to move a muscle. Slowly, she turned her head to see Fae standing right behind her, her single eye sparkling in the moonlight, her teeth shining in the dark.

"...I was starting to worry."

* * *

 **A/N: Bwahahaha! I'm evil and I love it!**

 **Apologies for the lateness of this chapter, but I thought an extra long one might please some of my more impatient readers.**

 **And I know I said something about a confrontation this chapter, but I guess you'll just have to wait! Mwahahaha!**


	13. Time Enough

**A/N: Sorry this one's late. I got a bit of a block since I started college, but I'll try to keep going.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Time Enough**

* * *

Fae smiled as she considered the elven Lady before her eyes.

She'd known from the first moment she'd laid eyes on Galadriel what an effect she would have. Her thoughts were her own, guarded against anything and everything. Too many times in her past world had she fallen victim to mind-altering potions or spells, and she'd learned to control and guard her thoughts after years of training.

Her emotions, on the other hand, were always on display for all to see.

They weren't something she felt like hiding. She could give a damn what people thought about what she _felt_. It didn't quite have the same consequences as an open mind, so she didn't really bother.

But, it seemed like that might have actually been a mistake... somehow.

"This is what comes from always being too open with your thoughts, Galadriel," she said softly, seeing the elven woman flinch when she finally spoke. "I imagine that for those with both less power and skill in the mind arts than you, it must be easy to go in and search for what you like. But that won't help you here."

"Just what are you suggesting?" she muttered defensively, trying to stop herself from shivering.

"Well, if you want me to be blunt..." Fae said, smiling at the flustered woman, who was trying not to lean against the edge of the large bowl behind her.

And then the world turned _warm_.

The worst of the weather was always kept at bay in the heart of the forest, where Galadriel's magic protected her people. Snow and rain could not find purchase here unless she allowed it, and warmth was never snuffed out as long as she was there. But all of a sudden, the temperature began to soar, _far_ beyond anything she would normally allow.

The snow around Fae's feet began to melt, revealing plants and earth. A blurry haze spread from her body, as if she were in the middle of a desert, and mist trailed into the air as the heat rose, fighting and mixing with the cold around them.

Fae never stopped smiling. But her eye began to glow, her single eye shining bright. Too bright to be natural. She stepped forward, while Galadriel tried to hold her ground, until they were almost touching. Small droplets of sweat, looking like tiny, shimmering crystals, began to form on her skin.

"I'm tired of waiting for you to pull your mind back by yourself. If you don't, I will do it for you."

And Galadriel was well aware of what that could do if it was done by force.

She wasn't used to this! For as long as she'd known how to read minds, she'd done so, always curious and eager to learn about the thoughts and dreams of those that she interacted with.

"Why... why do you hide yourself from me?" the Lady of Lórien asked, trying to convince herself that her voice didn't sound profoundly childish.

"The same reason I hide myself from everyone, you idiot," Fae said quietly, without any bite. "I'm not like you. When I love, there is no one in this land or any other that loves more. But the same is true for when I hate. And let's just say that I have a... _healthy_ dislike for those who intrude into people's minds without their permission."

The warning wouldn't have been clearer if she'd carved it into a Mallorn. And Galadriel was never one to ignore a warning.

Struggling to focus through the heat that was becoming all the more stifling, she began to retreat into the depths of her own mind.

Fae sighed in relief as she felt the grasping tendrils ceased their pressure on her mental shields. It was exhausting to have something poking at your thoughts for so long.

"Ah, thanks. It was getting irritating to have to put up with that, and I didn't want to spoil things by doing something about it."

Galadriel felt just as relieved as the heat from the red-haired woman began to recede, allowing the chill to soothe her damp skin. And even more than that, it was a relief to retreat into her own thoughts. Looking back, she could now see that trying to push at Fae's mind had simply allowed more of those same emotions that had so confused her to spill into her own mind.

Now, without all those... _strange_ thoughts jumping around in her head, she could actually focus. The woman may have been dangerous, but Galadriel could feel that she did not intend to hurt anyone. At least, not without a good reason.

"...Doing something? Such as?"

"Oh you know. Maiming, stabbing, maybe a few broken limbs. Or missing ones. That sort of thing."

Galadriel narrowed her eyes. "And the reason you held back? Is it perhaps, that I know more secrets of this world than almost anyone alive?"

Fae looked at her as if she were stupid. "Are you stupid? If you had tried to read my mind with that being all you were, I'd have killed you just on principle."

The elf blinked a few times. How direct. "Then... why didn't you? In fact, why did you hold yourself to just injuring if what I was doing so offended you?"

And to her surprise, Fae actually blushed and looked away, before mumbling something into the air.

"Hm? What did you say?"

"...Celebrían would be mad at me."

Galadriel's jaw dropped. _That_ was why?

It may have been a bit of leftover tension from the past few days, but it only took a second before she promptly started laughing.

Fae looked put out by her sudden amusement, but stoically endured it.

Namely by crossing her arms and pouting.

"...I am sorry," Galadriel finally said, after her giggles had subsided. "It has been a long time since I've slept. I am not feeling quite myself."

Fae waved off her concern. "Bah, don't worry about it. I know a thing or two about being prematurely judgmental. And I would hardly be one to talk about teasing other people."

Galadriel smiled. "That's nice to hear."

Fae grinned, as if sharing a joke, and Galadriel couldn't help but notice that her smile seemed a _bit_ too wide to be natural... with far too many points. "There are still things I am curious about. At the very least, you could take a few hours out of your busy schedule to accommodate me. After all, I have many questions..."

The blonde tried to swallow through a suddenly dry throat. "I-I'm sure I could—"

" _Particularly_ ," she said, _very_ close all of a sudden. "...about that _Ring_ you are so desperately trying to hide from my sight."

And with that, Fae grinned, flicked the stunned she-elf on the nose and faded into the darkness, an echoing giggle being all that remained in the frigid night.

XXXXXXX

Slipping quietly into the bedroom where Celebrían was sleeping, Fae sighed to herself. As fun as it was to tease her hostess, she was actually in the mood for some rest.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed and tucking one leg under another, she grinned down at the sleeping princess, who was breathing quietly through her nose and snuggling beneath a thick bundle of blankets.

It wasn't that surprising that she was already asleep.

Even in just a day and half, they had both already been on quite the exciting trip.

And she had the sneaking suspicion that that was only a single stone in the proverbial rockslide. Caverns, monsters, strangers and strife. And there may even be a few enemies here that could give her a run for her money! That Dark Lord Moron or whatever sounded promising, at least.

The red-haired woman rubbed her hands together in glee. This world would be a lot of fun.

"...Fae?"

She leaned over the sleepy elf and smiled gently down at her. "Sorry, sweetling. Did I wake you?"

"Mnm," she mumbled, keeping her eyes shut. "No..."

"Yes I did," the woman replied, her smile dropping a little. "I'm sorry."

"...Don't be stupid," Celebrían she said, perking Fae right back up as her smile lit up the night.

"Oh good, a sense of humor! I was worried I'd have to spend some actual effort trying to find it."

Another mumble was all the response she recieved.

Brushing a strand of silken hair out of her friend's face, Fae took a moment to marvel at how beautiful Celebrían actually was. The glow of the moon made her hair shine like strands of sparkling starlight, while the gentleness of her features made her face seem so much softer when it was relaxed.

"What right have I to know someone so kind?" she asked softly, staying like that for a few seconds.

But before Fae could even think of pulling away, fingers entered her line of sight and intertwined with her own. She looked back, into silvery eyes. The elf didn't say a word. She didn't need to.

The woman from a distant world smiled and lay down next to her first friend in Middle-Earth, nestling into the fluffy pillows. She thought to simply stay there for a while and leave once Celebrían had fallen back to sleep.

That plan was then tossed out the window when the elf turned, slung an arm across Fae's stomach and and laid her head down on the red-head's shoulder... prompting her to flush down to the roots of her hair at the unexpected turn of events.

"Uh... sweetie? You seem to be trying to sleep on top of me."

"Mm-hm."

Fae blinked a few times and then looked skyward, hopelessly bewildered. "... Did I miss something?"


	14. Timing is Key

**A/N:This one is not too terrible, I hope. Sorry it's taken so long.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews, my ego has recieved its sustenance.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Timing Is Key**

* * *

Galadriel had had a rough few days.

Starting from her daughter being captured by orcs to the introduction of the mysterious - or insane! - woman whom she had rescued by, leading all the way up to their confrontation the night before.

Not to put too human a spin on it, but the whole situation was driving her completely mad! The woman's attitude, especially!

Ranging from somewhat respectful to downright irritating, she seemed not to care in the slightest how others might construe her words.

As a rule, elves tended to be polite. The smallest insult could be remembered for decades, or even centuries.

All of the Eldar knew by now how terrible the wrath of the wronged could be.

But she was quite old by human standards, and had seen plenty of strange things. One mouthy human wasn't so unusual.

One mouthy human that could cheerfully shrug off her magic on the other hand...

She'd rarely tested her power against humans, for various reasons. Very, _very_ few of the younger race ever possessed the strength to stand up to the least of her spells, and those that could rarely stood against her in battle.

In fact, those few who she had ever fought possessed rings of their own. Nine great Kings of Men. But they were stretched thin as the meanest phantom now, and had been entombed in stone and darkness for a long, long time.

Still, the idea that someone could stand up to her was not in itself unusual. But there was one key factor of last night's confrontation that she _could not_ wrap her mind around, no matter how long she pondered it!

 _How_ in Ilúvatar's name did that woman _know about her Ring_?

She knew for a fact that there were elves of more renown and power than herself that would not have been able to the see the ring if she did not allow it, and she had over the course of the Third Age tested this on every race she knew of, even venturing to Fangorn once to see if the Ents could do it.

Not a single person, of any race, or age, or even those with magical abilities had been able to see the ring without her permission!

The Ringmaker had been able to, when last she'd seen him so long ago, and she knew that the Dark Lord was at least aware of their presence, even if he couldn't tell of their exact location, but Fae was a complete stranger!

How she would have even been able to attain such powerful Sight was something that Galadriel hardly dared to wonder.

But at this moment, _she was going to get some answers_.

Marching up to the room her daughter was _temporarily_ sharing with Fae, she set her face into a stony scowl and threw open the door.

And was promptly shocked into stopping.

They were sharing a bed!

This _ridiculous_ woman and her _daughter_ were actually in the SAME BED!

She had to step outside for a moment to calm down, lest she bring the entire Mallorn down around them.

When it didn't feel as if she was about kill everything in sight, Galadriel took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the room, her bare feet not making the slightest sound. It took mere seconds for her to reach where the two younger women were sleeping.

A conversation with her daughter would be first. She had no idea what Celebrían was thinking, allowing this woman to sleep right next to her, but she would be having some _very_ pointed questions brought her way.

As for Fae… _that_ conversation would come later.

Keeping a tight lid on her emotions, Galadriel gently reached over the red-haired woman, intent on shaking Celebrían awake, but her hand was snagged in a grip that might as well have been made of mithril.

She slowly glanced down at Fae, who had somehow woken up and who's hand encircled her wrist. She tried to pull away, but found that she couldn't move an inch.

"… Good morning to you too."

Schooling her face into a calm mask, Galadriel stared imperiously into Fae's uncovered eye. "… Follow me."

The younger woman had the nerve to _smile_ at her!

Slowly untangling herself from the covers and the sleeping she-elf who was still holding onto her side, Fae stood up. Without even pausing, she walked right past Galadriel toward a smooth wooden bowl at the far end of the room, which contained a small pool of water, and dipped her fingers into it.

The Lady of Lothlorien had a brief surge of temper as the cheeky wench proceeded to ignore her entirely as went through the process of washing her face and hair!

After _two whole minutes_ of standing there shaking in impotent fury, Fae finally turned around and drew herself back up with a stretch, briefly showing a hint of a tanned, muscular abdomen that Galadriel certainly did _not_ glance at!

"Sorry. I can't follow you right now," Fae replied, sitting down. She leaned back a little, resting on her hands, reclining in such a way that was positively indecent.

"Why not?" Galadriel asked, distracted.

"Well, I promised Celebrían that I would still be here when she woke up. She hasn't woken up yet. So I can't go."

"You left her alone last night to meet with me," she murmured, distracted.

Fae's smile grew, her eye twinkling merrily. "Did I? Maybe you were imagining things."

"I _saw_ you! I _know_ you were—"

"Sh!"

"Don't you shush me!"

"Mmf, Fae?"

Cringing slightly, the youngest of the three women present slowly turned her head to look at the second youngest, bundled in the soft covers.

"Erm, good morning?"

A hand popped up and waved in the direction of the door. "Too noisy. Go 'way."

Fae leaned over, closer than Galadriel was strictly comfortable with, and whispered something into Celebrían's ear, and a single silvery eye opened up and stared into a Fae's.

"I _am_ fine. I promise," she murmured, then turned a bit and pointed at her mother. "Don't be mean."

As she blinked a few times, Fae smiled and gave the younger elf's hand a squeeze. "Rest up. I imagine that you could use it, after the week you've had."

Twirling onto her feet from her sitting position, Fae hummed in amusement as Galadriel was positively vibrating with rage. "Well? Lead the way."

Turning with a flourish of skirts, Galadriel walked away, scowling, a highly amused redhead in her wake.

XXXXXXX

' _Riling her up is just too easy,'_ Fae thought, trying not to laugh.

The elven lady stomped through the halls of the trees like a Daedra with dyspepsia, snarling at any elf dumb enough to get in her way. Fae followed along daintily, as if she were on a walk through the great gardens of Valenwood and not about to face down an angry mother.

' _Ah well, it's not as if its the first time I've been caught in a noblewoman's bed,_ ' she thought with a smile, remembering the last dozen occasions that had happened, and bit her lip at remembering what they'd done in those beds the night before.

Good times.

Of course, the fact that she and Celebrían had done nothing except sleep was a fact she doubted Galadriel would care about.

It was the principle of the thing, after all.

Finally, they reached the place where Fae'd been hit in the head with magic, which seemed like weeks ago, now. Several elves, including Celeborn were milling about, though they all stopped to stare at the spectacle of their Lady and newest guest. One of whom seemed to find the whole situation frightfully amusing, while the other…

"Get out," Galadriel seethed.

They all hesitated, then Celeborn stepped forward. "My dearest, what—"

A surge of magic burst from her body, making her eyes glow a pearly white.

" ** _GO!_** "

They went.

Once the platform was clear of the elves, who scurried down the steps to warn away anyone who might wonder what was going on, Galadriel stepped away from the red-haired woman to try to reign in her temper.

Fae smiled peacefully and stepped to the edge of the platform, sitting down with her legs over the edge, swinging back and forth, heedless of the not inconsiderable distance between herself and the ground.

There she sat for a while longer, wondering how this confrontation would turn out.

To be honest, she _liked_ Galadriel, despite how stern and no-nonsense she sometimes seemed to be. It would be a shame for anything to happen that either of them might regret. Though from the anger that was practically dripping from the elder lady's frame, she probably wouldn't regret stringing Fae up by her entrails at this particular moment.

Finally, the she-elf had managed to gather enough control to be able to speak. "Give me _one_ good reason I should not rip the life from your flesh and cast you from my forest."

Fae didn't even turn around, but continued to stare out over the city of the trees. "I'm pretty?"

And just like that, her control was gone again.

But this time, she began speaking without even trying to contain her rage.

"You come into my forest, without permission and without leave, you mock my husband and my subjects, you _slither_ your way into my head and yet I find you this morning IN MY DAUGHTER'S BED!"

She was out of breath by the time her rant had come to an end.

Fae didn't respond.

"And the worst thing is that I actually believed for a moment that you might be an ally. That I might be able to trust you, that I might—" she broke off and turned away, refusing to look at the woman any longer.

Not speaking for a moment, Fae sat there, looking off into the distance.

"...You about done?"

There was silence for a while high in the trees.

And, before Galadriel could reply, the red-haired woman was speaking. "Good. Let me recap the events of the last few days from _my_ point of view. First was having the delightful experience of being ripped out of my own world and spat into this one. Not a great start, but I don't really mind. It's not like this is the first time I've seen other worlds."

The she-elf was about to speak again, but Fae continued before she could. "And then, not _five fucking minutes_ into this little trip, I crack a few skulls to save a damsel in distress. Again, I don't really mind. Then comes the journey to escort the lady back to her home, where _again_ I need to spill some blood to keep her safe, and _again_ I _really_ don't mind. And then!" Fae continued, starting to breath a bit more heavily. "Not even an hour into this forest and I've had arrows pointed at my face by a gang of brats, some cranky asshole shouting at me, treated as if I'm some sort of dreaded enemy and _then_ get magic-blasted in the _fucking face_!"

She was breathing heavily by the time she'd finished her rant, and Galadriel found that every argument she could think of was draining away.

"But you know what?" Fae said, all laughter in her voice now long gone. "I honestly don't care about any of that. It's hardly the strangest welcomes I've ever walked into, and one of the less violent, at that!"

Here she turned her head, allowing Galadriel to see her face in profile, her one, blue-green eye seeming to shine even more brightly in the sunlight. "But what I _really_ don't appreciate, is you still deciding to treat me like an enemy, _especially_ after I let you look."

A shuddering breath hissed past the elf's lips, feeling a hard ball of guilt gathering in her heart. "L-look at what?"

"At my soul, dummy," Fae admonished gently, a small frown marring her features as she glared half-heartedly at the woman across from her. "When you first started poking at me with that cute little mind power of yours, I wasn't too pleased at first, until I figured out that you were simply worried about keeping this city and it's people safe. So I decided to give you a peek. A peek at a soul, with no secrets to keep."

She took a few steps forward until she was right in front of the elvish Lady, not a little hurt in her tone. "You saw what I am, Galadriel. You saw it, you _felt_ it. And then you turn around and attack me, despite knowing that all I want from you is to be your friend."

Galadriel couldn't speak, emotion robbing her of words before they could form. Fae turned away again and crossed her arms, staring out at the shimmering buildings that dotted the trees.

"If you want me to go, perhaps I will," she said, her tone flat and harsh. "Perhaps this place isn't as pleasant as I thought. I'm sure Celebrían will be sad for a while, but she'll get over it."

"I cannot simply let you walk away," the elf murmured, her earlier anger having completely turned on its head. "You saved my daughter."

Fae spun around, hands on her hips. "Ah, so that's all I am?" she replied, now flat out glaring. "Someone who performed a service for you? Brought you back something you lost? First you want to blow me up, then decide throw me out, and now you want to keep me close? Pick one! It's not that hard!"

"I never meant to be ungrateful!" Galadriel snapped, hands balled into fists, magic beginning to flare beneath her skin. A wind far colder than natural swept through the trees, gently blowing the leaves away in all directions.

"Could've fooled me!" the red-haired woman laughed derisively. "I sure felt your gratitude. Right in the face, if you'll recall!"

"The last time I felt an aura like yours, the one who carried it almost brought this world to ruin!" she yelled.

Fae stepped right into Galadriel's personal space, a scant inch apart. And though they were of almost equal height, in that moment the elf felt _incredibly_ small.

"And did that person give you a look at _their_ soul?" she growled. "Auras can lie with some practice and manipulation. _S_ _ouls_ cannot. You, amateurish brat that you are, should know that by now."

The Lady of Light lit up with a blush as she tried to think of something —anything!— to say. Then finally, she slowly mumbled a response.

"You were sleeping in her bed."

Fae closed her eye as she let out a breath, air hissing from between her clenched teeth. Slowly, she reached up and adjusted the black sash over her eye.

"Of course I was. It's not as if someone who was almost raped would seek contact and comfort from someone who cares about them," Fae said, and her tone was so nonchalant that Galadriel almost snapped a response out of reflex.

Then the sentence hit her fully. Slowly bringing a hand to her mouth as her eyes went wide, the Lady of Lothlórien couldn't stop herself from gasping.

Fae almost looked chagrined at her expression for a few seconds, but then shook her head with a frown.

"Despite what you may think, _this is not about you_. My only concern is for Celebrían. And no matter what decision you come to in these lofty halls of yours, I will protect her to my dying breath," the Last Dragonborn uttered, her hair blowing softly in a non-existent wind, a sneer on her face as she glared down at the she-elf. "And I most certainly _do not_ require your approval."

Then she swept past, leaving Galadriel standing on the platform, alone in the cold.

* * *

 **A/N: Well... geez.**

 **I'm really, really sorry that this took so long. I beg your pardon, twice over.**

 **Hopefully the longer chapter will whet your appetites.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


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